The Pike and San Isabel National Forests Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands is proposing to manage target shooting (also called recreational sport shooting) on three ranger districts on the Pike National Forest. Dispersed target shooting, where forest visitors set up targets and practice shooting in an undesignated, undeveloped location, is a legal use of National Forest System lands that has increased in popularity even more than the population growth would predict. The result has been significantly increased risks to public safety, including wildfires caused by shooting, injuries and fatalities. The districts have experienced rising numbers of visitor conflicts and unsustainable resource damage.

The Integrated Management of Target Shooting on the Pike National Forest project proposes to manage target shooting as a recreational activity on National Forest System lands. The Forest is asking for input on the project through a public scoping period.

Full details about the proposed action are available on the project website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=57807.

This StoryMap explains why the project is needed, what the proposed actions are, and how the public can comment on the proposal. Using a conditions-based, adaptive management framework to manage target shooting will provide a flexible approach that will allow the three districts to address issues specific to an area. Details of the proposed adaptive management framework are provided in the proposed action on the project website.