Colorado Parks and Wildlife has temporarily closed the shooting range at Basalt State Wildlife Area in response to extreme drought and fire weather conditions gripping the region.
The closure took effect June 26th and will remain in place until further notice. It comes as Eagle County and the White River National Forest implemented Stage 2 fire restrictions that began on Friday at 12:01am. CPW made the decision after coordinating with the White River National Forest, Roaring Fork Fire Rescue, and Eagle and Pitkin counties, citing heightened fire danger across the Roaring Fork Valley in western Colorado.
“Over the past few years, including as recently as June 10, our staff has implemented mitigation efforts to lower the risk of wildfire at the shooting range. After collaborating with our local and federal partners, and taking into account the extreme fire danger in the Roaring Fork Valley, we feel temporarily closing the range is the right decision at this time.” – Area Wildlife Manager Matt Yamashita.
Those efforts have included improving safety berms and reducing vegetation near the wildlife area that could fuel a wildfire.
The remainder of Basalt State Wildlife Area stays open to the public. The closure applies only to the shooting range. CPW is reminding visitors that recreational shooting outside of the designated range is prohibited anywhere on the property.
Conditions fueling the closure reflect a broader pattern of heightened wildfire risk across Colorado this summer, with drought intensifying across multiple regions of the state.