A 40-year-old tradition will continue in Elbert County. Late Tuesday night, the Elbert County Commissioners voted unanimously to approve a special use permit for shooting ranges at Peaceful Valley Scout Ranch.

The ranch is located on about 3,000 acres in Elbert County, south of Kiowa.

The scouts have been shooting at the ranch since it opened in 1965.

“When neighbors started complaining about a year ago, we decided to accommodate the neighbors and assist Elbert County that we would move the traditional ranges that had been there since 1965,” said Jeff Herrmann, Scout executive of the Denver Area Council.

That wasn’t enough for a handful of neighbors who fought the scouts on this permit.

The permit allows the scouts to close down the current shooting ranges and move them deeper onto their property as well as build a new clay shooting area.

Environmental issues concerning the lead from the bullets or shells were and are a concern for some neighbors, but experts said there is nothing to worry about.

Two neighbors who opposed the permit were removed from the meeting -- one for an outburst, the other because he refused to leave the podium after his time ran out.