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Anoka County adopts ordinance banning rifles and .22+ firearms in two conservation areas
Summary
After a Parks Department presentation and no public testimony, the board adopted Ordinance 2026-2 to restrict rifles and all firearms .22 caliber and above at Cedar Creek and Columbus Lake conservation areas, allowing only shotguns, muzzleloaders and legal handguns in those county-owned sites.
The Anoka County Board adopted Ordinance 2026-2 amending the county park ordinance to limit certain firearms in two county-owned conservation areas.
Parks Director Jeff Perry told the board the change responds to a 2025 state law that eliminated a shotgun-only deer zone and leaves counties the option to set local restrictions. Perry read the proposed language: “Hunters are restricted to shotguns, muzzleloaders, and legal handguns at the Cedar Creek Conservation Area and Columbus Lake Conservation Area. Rifles and firearms, 22 caliber and above, are prohibited in the 2 conservation areas identified herein.” The director said GIS maps, ballistic reports and nearby residential densities motivated the county to prohibit rifles and .22-caliber-and-above firearms within the two conservation areas. The board moved, discussed briefly, and adopted the ordinance by voice vote; the chair announced the ordinance number as 2026-2.
