ooghost1oo
Regular Member
imported post
Fellow Colorado Open Carriers,
In case you didn't see it on my OC Facebook group, PLEASE take action to save Rampart Range. I found the guy in charge, and he said that our letters WILL influence their decision on whether or not to close it. Here's the info from Facebook: (skip to the bottom for contact info, but please read)
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Rampart Range needs our help!!
Those of you in Colorado Springs are probably familiar with Rampart Range. Those of you elsewhere in Colorado may not.
Rampart Range is a free, unsupervised shooting range in Colorado Springs above Garden of the Gods. It's had mixed reviews, and, since it IS unsupervised, has had a spotty reputation and the occasional problems you'd expect from an unsupervised range.
Well, the other day, two guys from Aurora were trying to clear a firearm (probably unsafely), and one was shot in the chest and killed. It was the first fatality at Rampart Range, and the authorities reacted as government always does: by attempting to close it down.
I heard it was already closed by now, but I heard on the news today that there will be a vote tomorrow (Thursday) on whether or not to close the range. I don't have any more information than that, but I was at work and at the time I'm composing this message, all government employees have gone home for the day.
Please, any of you that can, call in tomorrow morning to Sheriff Maketa, the Forest Service, and any other places you think might help to suggest that Rampart Range stays open and that one bad apple shouldn't spoil it for the thousands of other people who shoot up there.
I've heard many people concerned about unsafe practices up there, drinking, 'gangsters', and so on, but it's a free, public range. It is we, responsible gun-owners, who should be using our judgement about the safety up there, setting good examples, and discouraging and driving away reckless shooters. If we aren't responsible enough or confrontational enough to make the range safe ourselves, by being responsible (ourselves) and 'having a talk' with those who aren't, then there are still other options. Like volunteer range-masters, for instance.
Please help save the range any way you can. It's a good range, and it's the only forest land in El Paso where people can shoot.
----------------
Update:
There is no vote. The Range is closed temporarily. But the office listed above is putting together a 'team' of some sort to review the situation and decide whether or not to keep the range open, and in what conditions. The guy I talked to is "Tony", the staff officer.
He asked to send an email, which they will keep on record for help influencing their ultimate decision about the range.
So send letters, folks.Your letters can actually make a difference here.
(Here's the letter I sent
----------------
Attn: Tony
My name is Eddie Patin, and I am a responsible gun owner who enjoys the use of Rampart Range.
It is a sad thing that a couple of unsafe shooters were involved in the range's first fatality the other day, but I implore you to keep the range open for general public use. Being an unsupervised range, there is bound to be unsafe practices from time to time, but the majority of shooters there are responsible people who would be hard-pressed and very disappointed to have to find another free, open area to practice their hobby.
We, as responsible shooters, familiar with gun safety and holding such safety in high regard, try to set role models at the range for novice shooters and are capable of judging safety conditions ourselves. I, myself, would not shoot up there on a day when I saw unsafe conditions present, or would discuss safety with persons being unsafe. I'm sure many of the other shooters there would act in the same manner.
As you know, thousands of people use Rampart Range, and it would be a real shame if one bad apple spoiled it for the rest of us.
I again implore you to keep the range open, either as it is, or with perhaps implementing a volunteer range-master program, or keeping a minimal staff during peak hours.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Eddie Patin
Colorado Springs
----------------
In the letter I sent you all, I forgot to include Tony's email address. For those of you that didn't check the discussion board, here it is:
r2_psicc_webmail@fs.fed.us
Tony, Staff Officer
Pike and San Isabel Nation Forest, Supervisor's Office
719-553-1400
Please email Tony TODAY and tell him that you want Rampart Range to stay open. That one bad apple shouldn't spoil it for all of us.
Fellow Colorado Open Carriers,
In case you didn't see it on my OC Facebook group, PLEASE take action to save Rampart Range. I found the guy in charge, and he said that our letters WILL influence their decision on whether or not to close it. Here's the info from Facebook: (skip to the bottom for contact info, but please read)
----------------
Rampart Range needs our help!!
Those of you in Colorado Springs are probably familiar with Rampart Range. Those of you elsewhere in Colorado may not.
Rampart Range is a free, unsupervised shooting range in Colorado Springs above Garden of the Gods. It's had mixed reviews, and, since it IS unsupervised, has had a spotty reputation and the occasional problems you'd expect from an unsupervised range.
Well, the other day, two guys from Aurora were trying to clear a firearm (probably unsafely), and one was shot in the chest and killed. It was the first fatality at Rampart Range, and the authorities reacted as government always does: by attempting to close it down.
I heard it was already closed by now, but I heard on the news today that there will be a vote tomorrow (Thursday) on whether or not to close the range. I don't have any more information than that, but I was at work and at the time I'm composing this message, all government employees have gone home for the day.
Please, any of you that can, call in tomorrow morning to Sheriff Maketa, the Forest Service, and any other places you think might help to suggest that Rampart Range stays open and that one bad apple shouldn't spoil it for the thousands of other people who shoot up there.
I've heard many people concerned about unsafe practices up there, drinking, 'gangsters', and so on, but it's a free, public range. It is we, responsible gun-owners, who should be using our judgement about the safety up there, setting good examples, and discouraging and driving away reckless shooters. If we aren't responsible enough or confrontational enough to make the range safe ourselves, by being responsible (ourselves) and 'having a talk' with those who aren't, then there are still other options. Like volunteer range-masters, for instance.
Please help save the range any way you can. It's a good range, and it's the only forest land in El Paso where people can shoot.
----------------
Update:
There is no vote. The Range is closed temporarily. But the office listed above is putting together a 'team' of some sort to review the situation and decide whether or not to keep the range open, and in what conditions. The guy I talked to is "Tony", the staff officer.
He asked to send an email, which they will keep on record for help influencing their ultimate decision about the range.
So send letters, folks.Your letters can actually make a difference here.
(Here's the letter I sent
----------------
Attn: Tony
My name is Eddie Patin, and I am a responsible gun owner who enjoys the use of Rampart Range.
It is a sad thing that a couple of unsafe shooters were involved in the range's first fatality the other day, but I implore you to keep the range open for general public use. Being an unsupervised range, there is bound to be unsafe practices from time to time, but the majority of shooters there are responsible people who would be hard-pressed and very disappointed to have to find another free, open area to practice their hobby.
We, as responsible shooters, familiar with gun safety and holding such safety in high regard, try to set role models at the range for novice shooters and are capable of judging safety conditions ourselves. I, myself, would not shoot up there on a day when I saw unsafe conditions present, or would discuss safety with persons being unsafe. I'm sure many of the other shooters there would act in the same manner.
As you know, thousands of people use Rampart Range, and it would be a real shame if one bad apple spoiled it for the rest of us.
I again implore you to keep the range open, either as it is, or with perhaps implementing a volunteer range-master program, or keeping a minimal staff during peak hours.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Eddie Patin
Colorado Springs
----------------
In the letter I sent you all, I forgot to include Tony's email address. For those of you that didn't check the discussion board, here it is:
r2_psicc_webmail@fs.fed.us
Tony, Staff Officer
Pike and San Isabel Nation Forest, Supervisor's Office
719-553-1400
Please email Tony TODAY and tell him that you want Rampart Range to stay open. That one bad apple shouldn't spoil it for all of us.