Information courtesy of the U.S. Forest Service
Do you enjoy sport shooting in the Pike National Forest? Plan to participate in upcoming public meetings to learn about plans for future management and proposed restrictions to target shooting in Pikes Peak, South Park, and South Platte Ranger Districts within the Pike National Forest.
A virtual meeting, hosted by Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimmaron and Comanche National Grasslands, is scheduled from 5–6:30 p.m. Nov. 14, via Zoom. An in-person meeting is scheduled for Nov. 15, from 5:30 p.m.–8 p.m. at the Teller County Sheriff’s Office, 11400 US-24, Divide, CO 80814.
The Pikes Peak, South Park, and South Platte Ranger Districts encompass more than 1.1 million acres in central Colorado, including parts of Douglas County. Both the number of people living near the forest and the participation in target shooting have increased over the past decade, resulting in the need to mitigate risks to public safety, including shooting-related wildfires, resource damage, and user-conflict injuries while maintaining the opportunity to engage in this popular activity.
The proposed plans include:
- Building at least one shooting range on each of the three ranger districts; a total of seven sites have been analyzed for potential suitability.
- Closing portions of the Pike National Forest that are determined to be inappropriate for dispersed target shooting due to issues related to public safety, risk to infrastructure, or risk to private property.
- Implementing these actions using a conditions-based, adaptive strategy.
The public meetings are designed to provide an update on this project. The commenting period for the proposed environmental assessment – and related changes – will begin at a later date.
Douglas County is one of the 11 partners in the Southern Shooting Partnership, which will prepare a recreational sport shooting strategy that provides safe, responsible and accessible recreational sport shooting opportunities while addressing conflicts near residential areas with other outdoor recreation users across the Front Range.
For more information, visit our webpage.