To request hunting access across Gateway or Bobcat Ridge natural areas, use the Special Use permit application.

City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Department will review permit requests to cross Bobcat Ridge and Gateway natural areas for access to adjacent public lands during the spring turkey season (Bobcat Ridge) and big game, small game, waterfowl, and turkey seasons (Gateway), as established by Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

• Hunting and discharge of any weapon within a natural area is prohibited by City of Fort Collins Municipal Code.
• If approved, the permit will be limited to non-motorized access (including e-bikes). across the natural area. Requests for vehicle access through a natural area will be denied.
• Duration of the access and parking is restricted to the established hours of operation. Requests for access before opening, after closing, or overnight parking will be denied.
• Access across Gateway Natural Area with unloaded, open-chambered weapons may be issued September 1 through May 15 (only during Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s licensed hunting season).
• Access permits for big game, small game, waterfowl or fall turkey hunting will not be granted at Bobcat Ridge Natural Area because there are alternative access points.
• Spring turkey hunting access through Bobcat Ridge Natural Area will be permitted only when Forest Service Road 153/Bar D Ranch Road is closed, leaving Bobcat Ridge as the only access point. The Bar D Road is open during big game hunting season.
• Access is not permitted when the natural area is closed, even if a hunting access permit has been granted.
• Natural Areas limits the number of hunting access permits each season to protect resources and provide high-quality visitor experiences.
• Permits will be reviewed on a first come, first-served basis, beginning in mid-August.
• Review takes up to 15 business days.

Tips for Permit Applicants

• Apply for separate permits for each hunting season. Small game and waterfowl seasons can be included with big game and turkey seasons. 
• Groups are limited to 3 people to protect resources and provide high quality visitor experiences.
• Please be aware that accessing federal lands west of Bobcat Ridge Natural Area will be a challenging physical experience. The federal land is three air miles to the west and the landscape is rugged and steep.  Any individual who wishes to hunt this remote location should be confident in their physical and route-finding abilities. 

Before Applying Be Aware of These Typical Permit Conditions

• All natural area visitors must comply with Natural Areas Rules and Regulations.
• Permittees must carry a hardcopy or digital version of the permit during their visit and display it clearly on any associated vehicle’s dashboard. 
• Permittees must have all necessary and valid permits, licenses and tags required by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. 
• All State of Colorado hunting regulations apply and must be followed. 
• Permittees must park within designated parking areas.
• Permittees must pay for parking at Gateway Natural Area.
• Permittees must call the ranger phone line on the day(s) they plan to access the natural area.
• After-hours access is prohibited. Access and parking are restricted to the natural areas’ established hours of operation, dawn to dusk.   
• Bobcat Ridge Natural Area: Off-trail use is not permitted including going off-trail to access federal land inholdings. Hunters may access USFS property that is directly accessible from trails.
• Permittees may not make any alterations or changes to the natural area of any kind, temporary or permanent.   
• No dogs are allowed at Bobcat Ridge Natural Area, including hunting dogs accompanying permittees.
• Permittees’ weapons must be unloaded with an open chamber when crossing the natural area. Permittees may choose to either carry openly, stow in a case, or stow their firearm within a backpack.   
• Hunting access permits are for non-commercial use. Any guided hunt or other service for which payment is required must apply for and be approved under the City’s Commercial Use Permit system. Failure to do so will result in revocation of special use permit and will be reported to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.  
• No sales or solicitation for sales are to be conducted on natural areas property. 
• Permittees must not exceed the group size approved and listed on the permit (limit three people per permit). Permits are non-transferrable.  

Natural Areas Special Use Policy 2.22.23

Purpose

The purpose of the Natural Areas Special Use Policy is to describe the formal policies and procedures of the City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Department (NAD) for managing requests for special use activities, and oversight of those activities, that occur within City-owned or City-managed natural areas. This policy describes the most common categories of Special Use permits issued by the NAD and provides specific information for each of those categories.

The intent of this policy revision (2023) is to update the Special Use Policy to include historic and cultural use and ensure consistency with the NAD Commercial Use Policy.

This policy does not address special use on other lands owned or managed by the City of Fort Collins such as City streets or parks. Please note that other permit requirements or legal restrictions may apply if an activity will impact or occur in other properties or facilities.

The NAD may at its sole discretion elect to deny or revoke any special use permit for failure to comply with the permit conditions or policies as outlined herein. A special use permit is a revocable license. The issuance of a permit does not grant any interest in property.

This Natural Areas Special Use Policy provides general guidance to describe the types of special uses NAD considers to be compatible with its mission. In general, permit decisions must strive to:

1. Avoid and/or minimize the impact of the approved activity on natural and cultural resources.
2. Ensure that applicants comply with City Municipal Code, NAD regulations and other state and federal laws.
3. Avoid the impact of the approved activity on the safety and quality of other visitors’ experience.
4. Direct special use to appropriate sites and appropriate times in the interest of avoiding real or perceived impacts to users and resources.
5. Promote the Leave-No-Trace, Zero Waste (recycling) and Carbon Neutral ethic to permittees and activity participants.

Definition of Special Use

Special Use is any use of a natural area that is not typically allowed, as listed in Chapter 23, Article IX (Natural Areas), section 23-193 of Fort Collins City Municipal Code.

As a home rule municipal corporation, the City of Fort Collins has the general authority to regulate activities on City property. Chapter 23 (Public Property), Article IX (Natural Areas), section 23-194 of Fort Collins City Municipal Code (the “Code”) authorizes the Natural Areas Director to administer a permit system for uses or activities that are otherwise prohibited under Article IX.

Excluded from the Special Use Policy is any permit request that has a commercial component. Those requests fall under the NAD Commercial Use Policy.

Common requests include access to closed sections of a natural area, group activities greater than 15 individuals, off-trail use, or plant collection. Requests may be for ecological research, educational programs or field trips, or for recreational or other activities that are otherwise prohibited in the Code.

Special Use Permit Application, Review, and Conditions

NAD review of a special use permit application is made to ensure the protection of wildlife, wildlife habitat, and rare species, and ensure the safety of visitors and prevent visitor conflicts. The Special Use Permit review process takes up to fifteen (15) business days.

Special Use Permits are classified into three categories: 1) Research; 2) Educational – including cultural and historical uses; and 3) Recreational. These three categories as well as the general terms and conditions are described below.

Special Use: Research Permits

Research permits are required for those seeking to perform ecological, wildlife, or related research or data collection within a natural area. These permits may be issued for a lengthy period to accommodate the timeframe for research and data collection. Research permits do not include instructional activities such as on-site classes, research training or demonstrations of research.

Unlike other Special Use Permit applications, Research Permits are accepted year-round but only reviewed and approved twice a year (deadline is the second Friday of March and August). Staff will notify applicants of questions (pending status), approval, or denial within fifteen (15) business days after the application deadline.

Incomplete applications may not be accepted or may significantly delay the review process.

Permits will be evaluated based on the project’s scientific merits including the specific research question, proposed methodology and analysis, and commitment to provide the NAD with a final report via digital copy. Final reports shall include results or research findings in an abstract or executive summary format within six months of the ending date of the permit.

Failure to provide a timely research report or return NAD-provided materials identifying researchers such as vests, may be the basis for denial of future permits.

Special Use: Educational Permits

Requests for school-sponsored field trips, instructional courses, and similar activities may be requested on a year-round basis. Any educational request that involves a fee or donation must apply under the Commercial Use Permit category.

For purposes of this policy, traditional cultural and historical uses are considered a type of educational use. In reviewing a permit request for a traditional cultural or historical use, the NAD will consider the historical and traditional connection of the activity to natural areas lands, as well as the educational value and cultural significance of the request.

In addition to the general criteria under “Purpose,” above, NAD will evaluate requests to ensure there are no conflicting uses or events for the days and locations requested. Staff will notify applicants of questions (pending status), approval, or denial within fifteen (15) business days.

Special Use: Recreational Permits

In addition to the general criteria under “Purpose,” above, NAD will evaluate recreation permit requests specifically for compatibility with resource protection, including wildlife and native plant disturbance. Any recreational activity that would require participants to pay a fee or donation must apply for a permit under the Natural Areas Commercial Use Permit system. Staff will notify applicants of questions (pending status), approval, or denial within fifteen (15) business days.

City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Department Commercial Use Policy 1/2025

Purpose

The purpose of the Natural Areas Commercial Use Policy (CUP) is to describe the policies and procedures of the City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Department (NAD) with respect to requests for commercial use activities that occur within publicly city-owned Natural Areas (NA) as managed by the NAD. This policy does not address or apply to commercial use permit requests for activities on other lands owned (such as City streets, parks, etc.) or managed by the City of Fort Collins. Please note that other permit requirements or legal restrictions may apply to the extent an event will impact or occur in part in other public properties or facilities.

The NAD may at its sole discretion elect to deny or revoke any commercial use permit for failure to comply with the permit conditions or policies as outlined herein. A commercial use permit is a revocable license. The issuance of a permit does not grant any interest in property.

As a home rule municipal corporation, the City of Fort Collins has the general authority to regulate activities on City property. Section 23-193(d)(14) of Fort Collins Municipal Code (the Code) prohibits performing a service for commercial gain in a natural area except as authorized by a permit from the Natural Areas Director:

(d) “Except as authorized by a permit obtained for such use from the Service Area, it shall be unlawful to: (14) Perform a service for commercial gain or sell or offer to sell any item for commercial gain in a natural area”.

Under section 23-194 (b) of Fort Collins Municipal Code, a party interested in performing a service for commercial gain or selling or offering to sell any item for commercial gain in a NA may apply for a Commercial Use Permit to do so from the Natural Areas Department.

Definition of Commercial Use

Commercial use is defined as any activity on NA lands or facilities for which fees or donations are charged to a third party by an entity other than the NAD. Commercial use permits are revocable licenses for the use of Natural Area land or facilities. A permit for commercial use in no way grants or constitutes any property interest, nor would a permit grant exclusive use of a site. Any organization permitted for commercial use of NA lands or facilities (permittee) shall ensure that the rights and privileges of other visitors/users are recognized and not infringed upon.

Applicability

The intent of this Commercial Use Policy (CUP) is to develop formal, transparent, and uniform policies to guide the oversight of for-profit business conducted on publicly-owned, City managed natural areas. The Code prohibits an entity or person from conducting commercial activity on natural areas unless otherwise permitted. See §23-193(d)(14) This CUP is intended to provide an instrument for entities or persons to legally conduct commercial activities within a permit system.

This document provides general guidance to describe the types of proposed commercial activities considered to be compatible with the Natural Areas’ mission. Further, this document outlines ways to:

1. Avoid and/or minimize the impact of the approved activity on natural and cultural resources.
2. Ensure that commercial use operators comply with City Municipal Code, Natural Area Regulations, and other state and federal laws.
3. Avoid the impact of the approved activity on the safety and quality of another visitors’ experience.
4. Direct commercial use to appropriate sites and at appropriate times in the interest of avoiding real or perceived impacts to users and resources.
5. Ensure that participants of commercial activities are outfitted/guided by qualified operators with appropriate insurance.
6. Promote the Leave-No-Trace, Zero Waste (recycling) and Carbon Neutral (buy carbon offsets if applicable) ethic to permittees and activity participants.
7. Outline a fee system to recover full costs of permit processing, oversight, and management of commercial uses.

Commercial Use Application and Review Requirements

Applications to conduct commercial activities on natural area lands or at natural area facilities will be administered by the Natural Areas Department and must be submitted to the Natural Areas Department at least 15 calendar days before the proposed event. Applications will be accepted year-round on an as needed basis. The NAD will process any applications as expeditiously as possible. The NAD will review the application to ensure that the proposed activity is compatible with the natural areas mission, to ensure insurance requirements are met, and to permit time to negotiate the terms of the commercial use permit if necessary.

Permit Conditions

Permit Level and Visitor Days

There are four permit levels. Each permit level has associated Visitor Days. A Visitor Day is defined as one customer visiting one natural area property in one day.

Limited Use: 1- 15 people. Total group size is 1- 15 people including guide or permittee. Visitor Days are not to exceed 25 in a calendar year.

Moderate Use: 16 – 50 people. Total group size is 16 – 50 people including guide or permittee. Visitor Days are not to exceed 50 in a calendar year.

High Use: 51 – 200 people. Total group size is 51 – 200 people including guide or permittee. Visitor days will be greater than 50 and no more than 200 in calendar year.

Commercial Filming and Photography: Total group size and visitor days are conditional, based on staff approval.

Groups of 15 persons or more may be asked to divide up into small groups when using natural area trails. Guided events will generally be limited to 8 – 10 clients per guide with a maximum number of 16 to 20 clients. All horseback events must comply with the “twelve heartbeat” rule, i.e., the rider/horse combination is “two heartbeat” and each group of riders clustered together cannot exceed twelve heartbeats.

Fees and Costs

Fees are imposed to recover the costs of permit processing, oversight, and management. Fees include a non-refundable $50.00 administrative fee due prior to permit approval and a fee associated with each Permit Level. Additional fees may be imposed for High Use and Commercial Filming. Please see fee chart.

Timing and Cancellation

The Natural Areas Department reserves the right to cancel or reschedule events due to weather, site, or trail conditions to avoid resource damage.

Deposits

A damage deposit in the form of a letter of credit or refundable payment of $500 may be required as a permit condition at the discretion of NAD to enable the NAD to repair resource damage attributable to an Operator as that would provide a more easily obtained remedy than negotiation or legal action. Where warranted due to the location, extent or character of the activity or other related circumstances, the NAD may elect to require a higher damage deposit amount than that referenced above. The damage deposit may be required to be submitted to the NAD prior to the issuance of the permit document.

Insurance

As a condition of the permit, operators will be required, at their sole cost and expense, to procure and maintain liability insurance during the time that a permitted event or activity occurs on a NAD property or during such time as an applicant holds a permit to conduct commercial activity, whichever is longer, and to name the City of Fort Collins as an additional insured on the certificate of insurance. The minimum insurance requirements are as follows:

• Commercial general liability (broad form) insurance with a combined single limit of $1,000,000 each occurrence and an aggregate limit of at least $2,000,000.
• Coverage must include coverage for the following: ▪ Bodily injury and property damage ▪ Personal injury and advertising injury ▪ Fire legal liability ▪ Products and completed operations
• Business automobile insurance shall contain a combined single limit of $1,000,000 per occurrence where the activity or event takes place at Soapstone Prairie Natural Area
• Operator’s statutory liability under the workers’ compensation laws of the state of Colorado.
• Where warranted, the NAD may elect to require more extensive insurance coverage than the minimum amount described above due to the location, extent or character of the activity or other related circumstances.
• Operators must provide certificates of insurance consistent with NAD requirements to the NAD administrator prior to issuance of the permit by the NAD.

Certification

Guide certification allows for greater protection of the clients in the event of an emergency. Sponsored events will be handled on a case by case basis to determine the appropriate level protection for participants, based on the location, extent or character of the activity or other related circumstances. Guides licensed or certified by an accredited authority may be required to provide proof.

Reporting

Reporting enables the NAD to better understand visitation and related issues, to anticipate needs and future permit requirements, and to modify permitting requirements. Prior reporting includes anticipated date(s), location(s), and expected number of users per day. Post-event reporting information includes event date(s), location(s), and number of visits for each day, total number of user days, and activity. Post-event reports are due two weeks from end of event date for one-time event permits and quarterly for annual permits. These requirements constitute permit conditions, and failure to report may result in revocation or denial of the permit. If no activity occurred in the quarter, then reporting is not necessary.

Permittees may be required to post contact information and a copy of a signed permit on site during the event or activity in case to address public awareness or direct concern by the public.

Fines and Revocations

Violations of Natural Areas rules or regulations will be subject to enforcement at the ranger’s discretion either as a Natural Areas violation or a violation of the permit or both.

Visitor Conflicts and Resource Issues

Permits do not allow exclusive use of site. Permitted activities must co-exist with and not impair normal public use of the natural area. Conflicts and issues should be reported to Natural Areas Ranger staff (970-416-2147) who will address incidents on a case-by-case basis.