Photos by Sue Chesnut, Michael Wasgatt, Jeff Gutekunst, Jim McConnell, Ted Ray and Others.
Recreational Sport Shooting
(Illegal and Unsafe)
The Larimer County temporary closures issued along Deadman and Tiny Bob (portions of the National Forest) to recreational sports shooting expired on December 31, 2021.
At this time, the closures will not be extended. The United States Forest Service (USFS) has erected signage (pictured above) at the Deadman 502 entrance in attempts to prevent shooting towards the 9th, 14th and 7th filings in Crystal Lakes. A similar sign will be erected on Tiny Bob Road when ground conditions permit.
For the safety of our neighborhood and to provide the Sheriff's Office with information to assist in patrol actions and assessments of the closures, please report shooting incidents.
YOUR CALLS ARE VERY IMPORTANT.
How do I report shooting? 911 for emergency or 970-416-1985 for non-emergency.
Why should I report shooting?
For the safety of our neighborhood and to provide the Sheriff's Office with information to assist in patrol actions and to assess the closure. Your calls are important.
Permanent closures will be implemented once the Devil's Nose Shooting Range in Clear Creek County is operational, expected date is this fall. There is also a Boulder County Shooting Range in progress should this range open sooner, this will also trigger the permanent closures. The only other event that could trigger a closure is a Federal Emergency closure - fire restrictions due to dry conditions this summer.
Latest Update
Background
Courtesy USFS
The Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland are proposing management of recreational sport shooting (RSS) on the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests. RSS is a longtime and legitimate activity on the Forests; however, the 1997 Forest Plan does not contain any direction for managing these activities. Colorado's population is growing rapidly and more than 80 percent of this population growth is occurring along the Front Range. The mixing of RSS activities on National Forest System lands in close proximity to residences and other high-use public areas is causing safety concerns. The Forests partnered with Colorado Parks & Wildlife, Clear Creek County, Gilpin County, Boulder County and Larimer County to develop a landscape-level, multi-jurisdictional strategy to provide safe, responsible, and accessible RSS opportunities while addressing conflicts near residential areas and with other forest visitors across the northern Colorado Front Range. This project will not affect lawful hunting with firearms in areas where it is currently allowed.
In June 2019, the Forest signed a decision for the Recreational Sport Shooting Project. Documents and an interactive map showing areas identified as “not suitable” for shooting are available online. To read the final decision and maps, click on the “decision” tab towards the bottom of the page. It is important to note that closures are contingent on the development of public shooting ranges as a place for displaced shooters to go. Counties and the Forest Service are in the process of developing ranges. An update on the progress of these ranges was recently posted on the Northern Front Range Recreational Sport Shooting Partnership website.
We want to remind property owners that if there is an emergency, call 911. But, if it does not reach that level of danger, you can always call the Sheriff’s non-emergency number at 970-416-1985. If you have information related to recreational sport shooting you want to share with the Forest Service, please email ARPRecShooting@usda.gov.
Documents
Board Letters
Information from Property Owners
These files are:
- A book with photographs of shooting locations identified during our visits to the area.
- A map of the recommended emergency closure areas.
- A topo map of shooting incident locations and the shooting sources identified through interviews with affected residents. On the map, the areas identified with a campfire symbol are areas where we have heard shooting, but were unable to find evidence from the shooters such as spent cartridges (which may be retrieved because they are considered to be useful for reloading) or targets. The fire fuels discovered in these camping areas also pose a risk of ignition from sparks generated by discharged weapons.
- An aerial photograph of the shooting incident locations and shooting sources.
- An aerial photograph of the National Forest and Crystal Lakes area showing shooting areas, properties damaged, campsites, and other related information. The numbered locations on the map correspond to the numbered photographs in the book.
Additionally, more in-depth information can be found on an interactive Google Map at the following link: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=13Y2C93i4oCKys43YCvgWi0vf6YJHQkwy&usp=sharing The interactive map also contains the distances of different types of firearm projectiles, when discharged unsafely in the National Forest, showing the capacity to strike homes, churches, an elementary school and businesses in the area. These distances are based on how far a projectile could travel and do not take into account topographic barriers.
Newsletter Updates
February 2021
Bryon Fessler, CLRRA President
The Larimer County (LC) Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) held a virtual public hearing on Monday, January 11, 2021, and they unanimously approved a resolution to limit the discharge of firearms and to temporarily close a portion of the Arapaho/Roosevelt National Forest (ARNF) to recreation sport shooting (RSS) near Crystal Lakes. This temporary resolution will address the immediate public safety issues while still allowing the RSS Project and USFS adaptive management strategy to continue. Ultimately, it is up to the USFS to do the right thing and permanently close these areas to recreational sport shooting.
I provided some comments in support of the resolution as did Katie Donahue, District Ranger. Katie’s boss, Monte Williams, ARNF Supervisor authored a letter of support but stopped short of making a decision to close these areas. It is unconscionable for the USFS to wait any longer and we said as much in our letter to Monte last month. We are waiting on a response and will elevate our concerns, if needed.
We will update the website with the signed resolution and links to local media coverage. I think its great that the media covers these issues as they can reach an even larger audience.
As for next steps, we are working with DNR, USFS, and LCSO on signage and enforcement. The educational signs that the USFS installed in October that were originally promised in 2017 read more like an invitation to come shoot and that is now counter to the temporary closure. Additionally, we will continue working with USFS on the project to block off the illegal campground off Tiny Bob Road in the spring.
Finally, I want to take this opportunity personally thank one of our property owners, Don Simpson, for his assistance throughout this process. Don and I routinely bounce ideas off each other and strategize on our approach. He has been extremely professional and respectful throughout the entire process and I want to thank him for that.
January 2021
Our team approach and our positive and collaborative actions are paying off big time. The County is now exploring the option of a temporary emergency closure. The Board of County Commissioners held another work session on 12/21 to discuss the subject. This work session resulted in a consensus to schedule a virtual public hearing on 1/11 at 3 pm on a resolution to limit the discharge of firearms and to temporarily close a portion of the Arapaho/Roosevelt National Forest (ARNF) to recreation sport shooting near Crystal Lakes. The proposed resolution is intended to address the immediate public safety issues while still allowing for the RSS Project and adaptive management strategy to be implemented and/or public shooting range to open as outlined in the RSS Project decision. The resolution is also intended to be temporary (end on 12/31 unless extended) and maintains the responsibility for RSS management with the USFS jurisdiction. Lawful hunting is exempt.
The Board continues to press for an emergency closure from the USFS for the illegal and unsafe Recreational Sport Shooting (RSS) that is occurring near the Crystal Lakes subdivision near Filings 7, 9, and 14. Here are some some recent examples:
- We sent a letter to Monte Williams, ARNF Supervisor, requesting an emergency closure and we continue to coordinate with Commissioner Kefalas, Larimer County Sheriff, and the District Ranger on the need for an emergency closure.
- We are drafting another letter to the District Ranger to formally discuss roles and responsibilities with respect to the verbal agreement to barricade the illegal campground on Tiny Bob Road (where some of the illegal and unsafe shooting is taking place each year).
- The Board approved new signage at all of our entrances that clearly denotes private property. The signs also include verbiage specifically requested by USFS and Larimer County Sheriff so that they can better enforce the laws.
- We authorized the General Manager to create this webpage on the Association's website to better inform property owners about the issues.
- We approved a postcard mailing to the property owners in Filings 7, 9, and 14 after we receive additional information from the District Ranger.
December 2020
A site visit was held on November 5, 2020 to discuss the illegal and unsafe recreational sport shooting near the Crystal Lakes subdivision. The participants included Commissioner Kefalas and representatives from USFS, LCSO, CPW, DNR, and CLRRA. Two areas near Crystal Lakes have been identified as unsuitable for dispersed recreational sport shooting in the USFS Final Decision Notice (June 2019). The first area is North of Deadman Road to South of Filings 9 and 14. The second area is North of Filing 9 on Tiny Bob Road to South of Filing 7.
We summarized the takeaways from the site visit in an email to all property owners on 11/6/2020. At our recent meeting, the Board agreed to send a letter from Crystal Lakes to the Forest Supervisor requesting an immediate closure of the unsafe recreational sport shooting areas in Northern Larimer County and the two areas close to Crystal Lakes. Additionally, we plan to follow up with the District Ranger on several issues regarding the Tiny Bob Road and Deadman Road areas.
We want to personally thank Commissioner Kefalas for his leadership on this issue. He scheduled a meeting with LCSO and DNR on 11/30/2020 to discuss the enforcement issue and a cooperative law enforcement agreement between USFS and LCSO as a potential option. He also reiterated that before the Commissioners can consider a county initiated emergency closure option, they need to figure out the enforcement part of this complex equation.
In responding to some of the negativity from a few property owners, Commissioner Kefalas recently said, “It would be helpful to this process if we received some acknowledgement of the actions that have been and will be taken.” We believe in the Proverb that you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. It is easier to persuade others with polite requests and a positive attitude rather than with rude demands and negativity. We have had several positive conversations with property owners in the 7th, 9th, and 14th filings and together, we are making progress on this issue. To the few property owners who insist on being negative we suggest you let bygones be bygones, stop worrying about the past, be part of the solution, be polite, and be positive.
November 2020
Bryon Fessler, CLRRA President
I want to take this opportunity again to thank the property owners in the lower filings who carried the torch these past years and continued to push for an emergency closure with the USFS and the County Commissioners. This is a team effort that is really starting to pay dividends. The Association has been involved in this issue off and on since 2017. Thanks to the work of the property owners and the Board, we now have a clearer platform to work from and a better seat at the table. As recently as August 19, 2020, I participated in a work session on behalf of the Association with the Commissioners to discuss an emergency closure. The Commissioners are consulting with the County Attorney to see if they have the legal authority to institute an emergency ban. There is a question regarding who would be responsible for enforcement if the Commissioners were to enact such a ban.
USFS stated that they too have the power to institute an emergency ban but that they were reluctant to do so preferring instead to follow the current process, which has taken nearly five years to date. That process is called the Northern Front Range Recreational Sport Shooting Management Partnership, or NFRRSSP, and the goal is to develop a landscape-level, multi-jurisdictional strategy to provide safe, responsible and accessible recreational sport shooting
opportunities while addressing conflicts near residential areas and with other recreation users across the northern Colorado Front Range. USFS and CPW are involved in the process along with the Commissioners from Larimer, Boulder, Clear Creek, and Gilpin counties.
These agencies and counties are committed to providing alternative sport shooting areas before USFS closes the unsafe shooting areas along the front range, including near Crystal Lakes. That is why, despite repeated requests from property owners and the Board, an emergency closure has yet to be implemented. The Association does not have an issue with the goal of the NFRRSSMP; however, we cannot wait any longer as it is only a matter of time before one of our property owners are seriously injured or killed. There is precedent for USFS and/or individual counties to close illegal and unsafe shooting areas and we will continue to push for an emergency closure. We are working to educate everyone involved and the next step is a site visit with all the players on November 5, 2020.
So that I can better carry your voice with me, I am asking any property owners in the lower filings who would like to talk to me about how we can continue to move forward and make progress on this subject to contact me at clrrapresident@crystal-lakes.org. All I ask is that the conversations remain positive and constructive and that we continue to work as a team.
October 2020
A site visit with all the players is scheduled for early November. The visit was originally scheduled for September and then rescheduled to October and then November as a result of the Cameron Peak Fire. The players include Commissioner Kefalas and representatives from USFS, LCSO, DNR, and the Association (President and Manager). The plan is to visit locations along Deadman Road and Tiny Bob Road to discuss the shooting safety concerns for these areas. Additionally, at the Association's suggestion, USFS has recently installed educational signs for these areas. These areas are currently closed to recreational access as a result of the fire closure orders.
September 2020
The CLRRA President participated in a work session with the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) on August 19, 2020 to discuss the emergency closure for recreational sport shooting around the lower filings of the Crystal Lakes subdivision. The illegal shooting has precipitously intensified in recent years to a point where it now jeopardizes the safety of our property owners who have reported bullets passing by their heads or lodged in their homes. The BOCC is consulting with the County Attorney to see if they have the legal authority to institute an emergency ban. There is a question regarding enforcement if the BOCC were to enact such a ban. USFS stated that they too have the power to institute an emergency ban but that they were reluctant to do so preferring to follow the current process, which has taken nearly five years to date. The next step is a site visit with all of the players in early September, depending on the Cameron Peak fire.
Click here to view the work session
Click here to read the article in the Loveland Reporter Herald