§8423 Range Access

Summary

Make public lists and make or find public shooting ranges on federal lands. Within 1 year after January 4, 2025, the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management must publish which National Forests and BLM districts already have approved public target shooting ranges, which do not, and whether law or land-use plans prevent building one where there is no range. If nothing legally blocks a site, each of those forests and districts must have at least 1 suitable location identified. The agencies must consider how close people already shoot, avoid harming nearby non-Federal ranges, and think about other nearby recreation and parks to keep people safe. Within 5 years after January 4, 2025, at one or more of those suitable sites in each eligible area, the agencies must build or upgrade a range or make an agreement with a partner to do so, but only if funding is available. Ranges must handle rifles and pistols, may include skeet, trap, sporting clays, or archery, and must have safety features like berms, buffers, and a marked firing line. They may also include shade, restrooms, benches, and trash containers. Managers must set safety rules and protect nearby land. Except in emergencies, the agencies should have an equivalent public range ready before closing federal lands to recreational shooting. The agencies must coordinate with State, Tribal, and local governments, nonprofits, shooting clubs, advisory councils, and people with permits or leases, and may work with them on building, operating, and funding ranges. A progress report is due 2 years after January 4, 2025 and every year after through fiscal year 2033. The agencies may still run other ranges beyond these. Defined term: target shooting range — a developed, managed public area run by the Forest Service, a Forest Service concessioner, the BLM, or their lessee for firing legal firearms, firearms training, archery, or similar activities.