By JoAnn Dykstra
and Chris Boyd
Special to The SUN
For several years, there has been a recognized need by many in the community for a dedicated public shooting range in the Pagosa Springs area. Recently, a group of area residents formed to work toward fulfilling this need.
To date, the group has met on multiple occasions and identified the following goals:
• Organize a formal sports club.
• Identify a suitable property to develop into a safe shooting range.
• Procure property and develop the range.
The mission of the club will be to provide a safe environment conducive to both firearm instruction and the practice of recreational handgun, rifle and shotgun shooting, as well as archery. Since Pagosa Country has a significant percentage of firearms owners, it is envisioned that the sports club would provide a site for a large portion of the area residents, as well as meeting the needs of the many hunters from outside the immediate area.
While there are places to shoot in Archuleta County, there is not a site open to the public that is dedicated exclusively for such purpose.
The benefits of a dedicated location include:
• Enhanced safety for participants and those in the surrounding area by ensuring projectile containment with appropriate bullet traps/backstops.
• Environmental benefits: cleaner forests and reduced soil and water hazards. (Unfortunately, some local shooting areas have experienced inconsiderate shooters not cleaning up their spent casings and target debris.)
• Greater educational opportunities for students, residents and hunters: It is envisioned that a classroom structure would provide an instructional environment for firearms safety, concealed handgun and hunter education courses.
Anecdotally, there have been previous attempts to undertake this endeavor. It is well-known that there is a great interest in such a project. For this project to become a reality, community involvement and participation will be critical.
In an effort to engage and educate the community, there will be a town hall-style meeting held at Pagosa Springs Middle School (located at 309 Lewis St.) on Wednesday, Oct. 2, at 6:30 p.m. All who are interested are asked to attend this meeting.
If you are interested in learning more and/or assisting in this program, but are unable to attend the meeting, please email PagosaSportsClub@gmail.com.
