We need to keep an eye on this, we don't have the fire issues, but we certainly have the recreational conflict issues. Did anyone attend, or know of the outcome of these meetings?

WDFW NEWS RELEASE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov/
May 4, 2012
Contact: Cindi Confer Morris, (509) 697-4503
Wenas Wildlife Area target-shooting issues to be
discussed May 15-16 in Ellensburg, Selah
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will conduct two public meetings this month to discuss possible solutions to safety issues and other concerns associated with target shooting on the Wenas Wildlife Area near Ellensburg.
The meetings will run from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the following locations:
• Tuesday, May 15, Hal Holmes Center, 209 N. Ruby St., Ellensburg
• Wednesday, May 16, Selah Civic Center, 216 S. First St., Selah
Target shooting is allowed on the 114,150-acre area Wenas Wildlife Area, but is causing increasing problems including safety issues, environmental damage and conflicts among visitors, said Cindi Confer Morris, WDFW wildlife area manager.
"We'll talk about those issues at the meetings, but we want to spend most of the time looking for solutions," she said. "We have some ideas, but we really want to hear what the people who use these areas have to say."
Public conduct rules established for all 39 WDFW wildlife areas include some restrictions on target shooting, such as prohibiting the use of glass, signs, appliances, mattresses, televisions and furniture as targets.
But Confer Morris said problems remain on the Wenas Wildlife Area.
"Some shooters just set up targets wherever they want, and that creates safety issues for hikers, horseback riders and other users," she said. "We've also had wildfires started by sparks from target shooting, and we still have problems with people using inappropriate things as targets."
Potential solutions include limiting or relocating traditional target shooting areas or restricting target shooting when the risk of wildfires is high, Confer Morris said.
"But we're open to any and all ideas," she said. "Our budgets and staff time are very limited, so we need to come up with creative solutions that don't require a lot of time or money to implement."
________________________________________
This message has been sent to the WDFW All Information mailing list.
Visit the WDFW News Release Archive at: http://wdfw.wa.gov/news/
To UNSUBSCRIBE from this mailing list: http://wdfw.wa.gov/lists/unsubscribe.html

I can run a backhoe, who else has skills that could be donated to the construction of a begining range? Who has equipment, Who is able to donate time and / or money?

Colorado built a nice area near Colorado Springs that was cheap and easy to maintain.

Bulldozed berms at varying distances for backstops, berms between the "ranges", and for shooting stations some oil well drill pipe buried in concrete. Across the tops of the pipe support they welded 1/2" steel plate.

The range area was designed so it was impossible to set targets at any position other than in front of the berms, the "floor" was smooth enough that the garbage could be raked up with a toothed dozer blade, and scoop loaded into a Dump truck. One day per year cleanups were cheap enough. Get caught shooting at TV's, Refrigerators or Washing machines, etc., and the fine was sufficient to get the work out.

The Steel shooting positions made it impossible for the idiots to tear them out and burn them like people here are prone to do.

If it were up to me, the penalty for trashing up a shooting area, or shooting in an unsafe manner, would involve not just a fine but also forfeiture of any firearms the person had on their person at the time. A statewide advertising program long before the penalties went into effect to make sure it didn't come as a surprise. This might encourage more enforcement action as today, any tickets written are usually considered "just a cost of shooting up the area". The price for their version of fun.

Most of us are responsible on our own but there are always those that need to have an incentive to use better judgement. Big Fines, Loss of Firearms, maybe even some jail time, might just be the kind of incentive they need. Wouldn't take much to get the word out and maybe then we'd have fewer pigs out ruining it for the rest.