Feds Implement New Regulatory Policies on Public Lands
Rick Langenberg
The free-for-all days of open, target shooting in the Pike National Forest throughout the Teller and Ute Pass region are screeching to a halt
But at the same time, the path is clearing for more regulated rifle ranges inside local public lands and an acceptance of sports-shooting as a recreational hobby, similar to camping, hiking and ATV riding. This is part of an overall national movement to make public lands more accessible to various users.
However, for now, the ‘Wild West’ Shooting Days in the Pike Forest are over, a trend attributed to a huge spike in people accessing these areas. Officials hope this could result in less calls to law enforcement regarding a volley of questionable gun shots near residential subdivisions and fewer conflicts between sports-shooters and campers/hikers and nearby property owners. Legal hunting, though, won’t be impacted.
The U.S Forest Service has announced the official signing of their “Integrated Management of Target Shooting on the Pike National Forest Project,” a nearly 10-year effort that elicited the opinions of a spree of agencies, landowners, residents, area politicians, and gun buffs. Altogether, federal government officials say they have received hundreds of letters from citizens, and various organizations regarding this hot issue.
In a verdict that definitely amounted to a compromise, the Forest Service has slashed its former unregulated stance toward dispersed shooting, especially in areas close to public thoroughfares. Enforcement of this no-shooting mandate in many highly frequented spots, such as off Rampart Range Road, could begin shortly, according to the Forest Service.
Teller County Commission Chairman Dan Williams, who has served with the Southern Shooting Partnership group for years, lauded the move and says the agency has taken a big step forward in progressing from the planning stage to that of implementation.
At the same time, he admitted the final product represented a compromise and could generate mixed reviews.
“I have been a member of the Southern Shooting Partnership for nearly nine years. This has been a long an arduous process that is a result of compromise,” stated Williams in response to the Forest Service action in an email. “Public land is not under the jurisdiction of Teller County and it was important that we had a seat at the table along with other counties, state and federal partners. The challenge of dispersed shooting on public land has increased in the past decade due to the explosion of people on the Front Range. In the end, this compromise will not please everyone, but it will make it safer for everyone to use our public lands.”
The commission chairman is the first to admit that many of these meetings over the last decade got quite tense, with many gun hobbyists contending their rights were being thrashed. At the same time, residents contended that a serious safety hazard existed due to the lack of regulations. Another element further complicating the scenario occurred with weekend visitors from big cities who came to the Pike National Forest to recreate and shoots off their weapons and ride ATVs sometimes in a wild fashion.
This led to conflicts that at times required law enforcement to intervene. Williams stated that current policies allowed “for unregulated dispersed shooting inside of the Pike National Forest. This has led to an increase in conflict and complaints with other recreational uses as the population of the Front Range has exploded.”
Moreover, he says the concept behind the proposed ranges is to “afford a safe and regulated properly constructed set of ranges to relieve some of this pressure. As these ranges are completed we have been told to expect additional closures to dispersed shooting in certain areas of the forest. These closures will not impact hunting.”
Construction of New Shooting Ranges Getting Started
According to Williams, the closest prospective shooting range for Teller gun buffs will be located in the Turkey Rock area, off Hwy. 67, just past the Hayman fire burn scar. A few others will be located in Park County.
According to a Forest Service press release, the new implementation plans call for at least six designated shooting ranges, encompassing three main districts in Colorado, including the Pike-San Isabel National Forests. Plans surrounding the construction of these ranges still have not been released in-depth. The projected banning of dispersed shooting on Forest Service property will occur in phases. The initial shooting closures won’t have much of an impact, according to Williams. He stated that public land areas near Rampart Range Road, 11 Mile Reservoir and a region close to Manitou Springs “have already been closed for a number of years and will remain closed. We have been told no additional closures will occur until after the new ranges are constructed and operational.”
Similar to Williams, Forest Service representatives and the Southern Shooting Partnership leaders expressed much optimism about the outcome, which marks the end of a multi-year environmental analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act. “The Southern Shooting Partnership has worked with the U.S. Forest Service for eight years to curb the dangers and impacts from dispersed shooting on the Pike National Forest while maintaining ample opportunity for recreational shooting,” said Andy Hough, the chairman of the Southern Shooting Partnership, who also serves as the environmental resource coordinator for Douglas County. “We could not have asked for a better outcome…Decisions of this magnitude regarding such as cherished American tradition are never easy, but by working together we came to a solution that increases public safety and protects natural resources while expanding opportunities for recreational shooting.”
The entire process has been quite lengthy, involving many public meetings. “Thank you to the public for your ongoing patience and participation throughout this multiyear process,” said Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands Forest and Grassland Supervisor Ryan Nehl.
Nehl’s signature on the decision made it official, kicking off the implementation stage.