BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. — A mountain‑area resident urged Boulder County commissioners on Sept. 4 to take immediate action to locate and open a public shooting range so the U.S. Forest Service can close dangerous, undesignated shooting areas on national forest land.
Bill Ellis, a resident of Raymond, told the board that recreational shooting in undesignated locations poses risks from errant bullets, ricochets, wildfire and metal contamination. “The danger of errant bullets, ricochets, threat of shooting caused wildfire and pollution from lead and other toxic metals that are becoming concentrated at heavily used shooting sites has long been a problem within the county,” Ellis said.
Ellis described a multi‑county Northern Front Range recreational shooting partnership, saying neighboring Clear Creek and Gilpin counties are opening managed ranges and closing national‑forest shooting areas; he cautioned that without a Boulder County range those shooters may relocate into Boulder County open lands.
Commissioners acknowledged the safety concern and said locating an appropriate site inside Boulder County has been complicated by suitable land availability, Forest Service requirements and the fact that some mountain parts of the county fall in different Forest Service ranger districts. Commissioner Marta Levy said those factors may force the county to identify more than one site, complicating the effort.
Discussion vs. decision: The public comment was a request for action. Commissioners described outreach and site‑search difficulties but recorded no formal commitment or motion Sept. 4.
Why this matters: Undesignated recreational shooting can present public‑safety and environmental hazards in mountain communities; locating a managed range would allow the Forest Service to close unsafe use areas if site and interagency requirements are met.
What’s next: Commissioners said they are continuing to pursue site options and interagency coordination; no timeline or funding decision was announced Sept. 4.