Attention all outdoor enthusiasts and sport shooters! The Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests are implementing closures in certain areas to recreational shooting activities. This decision comes as part of a larger effort to direct sport shooters towards designated ranges, ensuring their safety and preventing any potential risks to nearby residential areas.

New Safety Measures

Forest Supervisor Monte Williams recently announced that specific areas within the national forests will be closed to recreational shooting. These closures are a result of ongoing efforts that began in 2019, with the aim of limiting shooting activities on over 226,000 acres of the 1.4-million-acre forest.

Williams highlighted the importance of this initiative, stating, “The construction of these new shooting ranges marks a significant milestone for the Northern Front Range Recreational Sport Shooting Management Partnership. We have worked tirelessly to enhance public safety while also creating new, improved recreational shooting opportunities for the community.”

Areas Affected

Most of the planned closures will impact Gilpin and Boulder Counties, with minimal closures in Larimer County, specifically in the Poudre and Big Thompson Canyons. According to the Forest Service, these areas have been identified as unsuitable for recreational shooting activities, ensuring the safety of residents and visitors.

Reid Armstrong, a public affairs officer for the Forest Service, clarified that the closures do not affect legal hunting activities, emphasizing the distinction between recreational shooting and hunting.

Future Developments

The closures will be implemented once new shooting ranges in the area become operational. The Devil’s Nose Target Range, scheduled for completion in the summer of 2024, will prompt closures on nearly 95,000 acres in Grand County and northern Larimer County. These closures are necessary to eliminate unsafe shooting opportunities in the region.

Additionally, the Clear Creek Shooting Sports Park, expected to be completed by 2025, will lead to the closure of 46,195 acres in Clear Creek and Gilpin counties. The Forest Service assures that detailed information on the closed areas will be provided as the ranges near completion.

Community Collaboration

The Northern Front Range Recreational Sport Shooting Management Partnership, supported by various counties, the U.S. Forest Service, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife, highlighted the growing safety concerns due to the increasing population along the Front Range. The organisation emphasised the need to address safety issues arising from the proximity of shooting activities to residential areas and high-use public spaces.

As we look towards a safer and more sustainable approach to recreational shooting, the closures in the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests demonstrate a collective effort to balance public safety with outdoor recreation opportunities.