Summit County Shooting Range Volunteers Reflect on More Than 10 Years of Service

Summit County's free public shooting range wasn't always what it is today. But thanks to the work of an all-volunteer group, the range has been transformed in recent years with major improvements, new equipment and routine care.

During a work session of the Summit Board of County Commissioners on May 21, representatives of the nonprofit group, dubbed Summit Range Association, spoke about the accomplishments they have celebrated since their founding more ten years and the importance of being stewards of the chain.

Established in 2010, the Summit Range Association jointly manages the range alongside Summit County government and has three key goals: operate and maintain the site, seek funding, and ensure the range can remain free to the public and promote safety and ethics. the use of firearms through education and training.

The site, located off U.S. Highway 6 near Keystone, has been used as a shooting range since the early 1960s, according to Summit Range Association treasurer Tom Little.

Before the association's creation, Little described the area “as an ugly and unsafe place” due to its lack of infrastructure and the prevalence of trash used as targets.

In 2011, some of the association's first improvement projects included grading the shooting range, adding safety berms and drainage work. He also began receiving grants from Colorado Parks and Wildlife, which were matched by Summit County government.

Stay up to date on all things Summit County. Get the best news delivered to your inbox every morning. Sign up here: SummitDaily.com/newsletter

The grants have been vital to sustainment and subsequent investment in the years since, with Little adding that when the association first formed, “we were a start-up organization, so we didn't know not how to do it.” a grant (Colorado Parks and Wildlife).

After receiving an initial $168,000 grant from Colorado Parks and Wildlife, with an additional $177,000 from the county to match, in 2011 the group continued to obtain smaller grants that helped fund a number of projects.

These include the addition of benches, a storage unit, gun racks, target racks and the expansion of accessible parking. Larger investments included adding a sloped roof to house the rifle range and vaulted toilets.

But perhaps the most significant infrastructure improvement of the last decade was completed in 2023, when, after a closure of about eight months, a three-sided covered canopy with an acoustic noise barrier was added to each filming area to mitigate noise after noise complaints.

The county provided $1.3 million in funding for the project, according to Little, who said it shows “what can be done with a public shooting range if you have the support of your county government and some volunteers to make this happen.”

Reflecting on the past 13 years, Little said it has been “quite an accomplishment to get to where we are.”

Now, the range is considering a number of activities and projects for the remainder of 2024, including safety and training courses, lead mitigation and target rack repair. Little added that now that the filming areas are covered in noise-mitigation infrastructure, the group is also looking at ways to mitigate any additional noise inside.

County officials thanked the group of volunteers for their years of service, with Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons saying the group “provides a safe environment (at the gun range) for the community at large.”

Commissioner Tamara Pogue told members: “I know you volunteer, I know it’s a labor of love and not easy, but we are very grateful for your work. »