Shooting ranges reopen in ‘Yellow-Phase’ counties
HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Game Commission announced Friday that it has reopened its Southwest Region Office, and reopened shooting ranges on additional state game lands in counties upgraded to the yellow phase in the state’s three-phase matrix to ease COVID-19 restrictions.
Those counties include: Allegheny, Armstrong, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Fayette, Fulton, Greene, Indiana, Somerset, Washington and Westmoreland.
Within those counties, any rifle, shotgun, pistol and archery ranges on state game lands have reopened and regular hours of operation will resume.
Where counties will remain in the matrix’s red phase, and where stay-at-home orders remain in place and large gatherings are prohibited, shooting ranges on state game lands will remain closed.
Future changes regarding the opening of additional game-lands shooting ranges will be announced by the Game Commission as they are authorized.
“That surely is welcome news for the hunters and target shooters who rely on those ranges for practice, and it’s encouraging to see a second round of reopenings authorized as a result of counties making progress in the fight against COVID-19,” Game Commission executive director Bryan Burhans said. “If each of us continues to strive to stay safe and follows the state Department of Health’s guidelines for limiting the spread of COVID-19, it only can contribute to the further progress, fewer restrictions and more reopenings.”
The Game Commission closed all shooting ranges on state game lands in late March in accordance with Gov. Wolf’s developing guidance to help control the spread of COVID-19.
To enable hunters and target shooters to make up for lost opportunity due to ranges being closed, the Game Commission has extended the life of 2019-20 shooting-range permits, which have a printed expiration date of June 30, 2020. The permits will be considered valid to use on state game lands shooting ranges until Aug. 31, 2020.
Pennsylvania 2019-20 hunting and furtaker licenses, which also are set to expire June 30 and allow holders to use shooting ranges on game lands, will be honored for range use through Aug. 31. However, hunters and trappers are reminded that beginning July 1, they will need 2020-21 licenses before engaging in any hunting or trapping activity through June 30, 2021.