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Commission recommends special use permit for Feather Elk Ranch shooting and upland hunting operation
Summary
The commission recommended approval to the Board of County Commissioners of a special use permit for Feather Elk Ranch to operate sporting clays, a 5-stand and upland bird hunting with limited overnight accommodations, subject to conditions and staff amendments.
The Routt County Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend that the Board of County Commissioners approve a special use permit for Feather Elk Ranch (PL240096), allowing recreational shooting (sporting clays and a five-stand), upland bird release hunting, and limited overnight accommodations within a defined portion of a roughly 1,268-acre ranch.
Applicant Robert Miller described plans to diversify ranch income by offering a membership model (target 50–200 members) for access to shooting facilities and limited lodging. He said the operation would continue agricultural uses (grazing and haying) and that members would primarily come from Steamboat, Hayden and Craig. Miller said birds will be produced under a Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) producer permit and that hunting activities will rely on on-site pens, staging areas and controlled access to upland hunting parcels.
Planning staff summarized the proposed layout (lodging, kennel area, shooting ranges and upland release areas), noted that the lodge does not yet have a certificate of occupancy, and recommended approval with conditions; staff asked the commission to accept a staff amendment that removed direct cross-references to UDC section numbers in the employee-housing condition, mirroring a similar edit made on another item to avoid future code renumbering problems.
Commissioners asked detailed technical questions about species (CPW welcomed stocked birds in the area), safety buffers from county roads, lead mitigation and dog/kennel use rules. Staff said shooting hours were limited in the conditions (8 a.m.–4 p.m.) and that the operation’s anticipated typical daily traffic is small (two to three private vehicles). The commission passed a motion recommending approval to the Board of County Commissioners, including conditions 1–13 and special conditions 14–28, with the staff amendment to condition 27 as discussed.
The recommendation will be forwarded to the Board of County Commissioners, which has final authority on special use permits.
