The U.S. Forest Service is considering changes to sport shooting in the Arapahoe and Roosevelt National Forests. The Longmont Times-Call reports the Forest Service’s current management plan for those two national forests does not include specifics about managing recreational shooting.
The latest comment period for the proposal comes one week after a man was killed by an errant bullet at a campground in the Pike National Forest. The Pike and San Isabel National Forests were closed to shooting last year.
An initial proposal for recreational sport shooting guidelines from May received 300 comments.
It's not the first time that the National Forest Service has issued orders about sport or target shooting. Last December, the agency temporarily prohibited shooting in the Rampart Range Christmas Tree cutting area of the Pike National Forest from while the area was opened for visitors.
Forest Service Law Enforcement Officers patrolled the restricted area on a regular basis, in order to observe any violations.
The South Platte Ranger District has prohibited recreational target shooting within the Christmas tree cutting area in Jefferson County for nearly 20 years.
A Forest service press release last week noted that increases in population and sport shooting near national forest lands have caused significant safety concerns.
