It would be nice to see DNR take this approach around the State. While I lived in Colorado their land management agency built a range just for this purpose. They dozed up some nice berms for impact areas as well as berms to separate the longer ranges from the short distance ranges.

Some steel well casing was set in concrete and heavy plate welded to the top of the steel posts for shooting benches (bring your own seating). Once or twice per year they ran a grader thorough to scrape off all the trash and haul it away in dump trucks.

Because this was essentially the only legal place to shoot in the area it was easy to patrol. Unsupervised too and in the years I lived there I never read about any injuries.

Unfortunately the process here is to eliminate legal shooting areas without providing any legal alternatives. Time to make the state refund that part of our CPL fees that is supposed to go to range construction.

Turns out I'm working that night, so I wont be makinging it.

https://www.nraila.org/articles/2016052 ... te-forests

Bump for tonight's meeting!

I am real sorry to let some of you down, but as it stands, I'm 50/50 at best to make this thing. Cwme down with a cold over the holiday weekend. Leaving work in a few with a sinus infection.

I will still try and attend. If you know me, I hope to see you there, if you dont, feel free to introduce yourself. I'll be the big guy thats sick, with a beard, in a camo baseball cap, a nice button down flamnel shirt, and boue jeans. Figure its best for us to make a good impression.

I had really hoped to be able to make the Burlington meeting tonight, but I have to be present for an inspection at 5 pm in Redmond that will probably last an hour, so there's no way I'll make it on time.

Kyle, hope you feel better. If you make the meeting, let me/us know afterwards how it went.

Headed north from lynnwood now. Picking up a buddy in lake Stevens. I hope we will make it.

wish I cold make it I had to have emergency dental work this afternoon and I am high on Oxy`s for the pain so no driving, it feels like a left handed boxer had his way with me. Let us know how it went

So I ended up making it last night. Met Grantizzle and his friend. Also several people I know from the area, including several from the FB group that we worked with on the last clean up.
Overall, I liked what they are trying to do. One thing I missed until the meeting, this was strictly to address shooting on DNR land. It was very much geared toward how to make it happen, and happen safely. Does it mean we will have them cater solely to shooters and tp hell with other activities, no. However, I think these meetings are indeed good for us shooters who want to have that right upheld and even strengthened in some aspects.
Obviously there was some tarheels and unsavory characters that were looking for a confrontation. I believe the DNR surprisingly handled that well I thought. Another surprise was how many of the folks there to advocate for their horse riding, were relatively reasonable. Mostly concerned about saftey.
Lets see where these meetings lead us in the future. Supposed to be about a year before they start making any sort of policies or anything. Be patient, be a responsible shooter in the meantime, and in the end I'm hoping we start getting DNR backing and designated shooting spots.

6/2 Evergreen input?

It was a pretty good meeting! There was 120-130 people there. A lot of shooters and a mix of homeowners, horseback riders and hikers. The meeting went just like the others, where it was mainly meant as a focus group. They broke us into 4 random groups and asked questions and then wrote down all the answers. Each group seemed to have a balanced number of people from each demographic.

A couple things that were interesting.

• This will be a long process, with the next meeting taking place in the fall (after fire season)
• There will not be a one-plan-fits-all. The plans will be tailored based on each of the 4 spots needs
• This is ONLY about target shooting, not hunting.
• For Capitol Forest, it seems the groups wanted multiple smaller designated shooting areas more than the large quarry
• There is some untapped $$ in a fund that DNR hopes to utilize to create shooting areas
• Shooting is the ONLY recreational activity on DNR land that doesn't have a "plan".

Overall, it was a pretty informative and productive forum. I think everybody left there feeling like they got a chance to be a part of a potential solution. There was no doubt that everybody who was there, were people who CARED about the Capitol Forest, which is good.

Some of the answers, in my mind, to keep he forest clean and open to target shooting;

• More Law Enforcement, period. A lot of the garbage is brought up by others.
• Developing smaller, safe shooting areas will help alleviate the pressure at the larger areas and lower the noise for neighboring houses.
• Clear signage as to where all of the shooting areas are / are not
• Create a stewardship program where other shooters can "patrol" the forest, handing out garbage bags, being shooting ambassadors etc
• There needs to be a quarterly cleanup effort, organized by DNR, and broadcasted to the shooters.
• Better communication with the shooting community, who want to come help

I was there, with my usual schwag and the sign we made up for our DNR cleanups. I was able to meet quite a few of the DNR guys that I have emailed with back and forth over the years too. I reminded each of them that WaGuns NEEDS to be utilized as a vessel for them to get information out and to put boots on the ground. They all agreed, and I'll work towards a plan with them to make sure that we are in the loop.

The sign I brought garnered some good attention, so we may see some new passionate members, which is a bonus.

There were also some people there who, of course, wanted ALL shooting to cease in the forest. There was a map there where people could place dots on where safe places were to shoot and where there shouldn't be any shooting.

So, of course, there was this (click for full size):


Hopefully, after the forum concluded, they saw that even the shooters are passionate about the forest, and loosened them up a bit.


I did meet a couple fellow WaGunners out there, including riflesnob, who is heading up the cleanup effort at the lower pit tomorrow AM. I hope we can make a powerful showing. I know it's going to be a hot day... But if we have a crap load of people out there, then we can bust it out very fast. I'll be there by 9am, and have a couple hours I am planning on giving up to show DNR we are serious.

Overall it sounds good. The biggest problem are the people that didn't show up, the one that dump trash and shoot signs. I wish I could come out, but I'm working. Those of you who attended reflect that citizenship is a verb.

Good to hear that the DNR folks are looking for ways to make it happen, and happen safely. Sorry I couldn't make the Olympia meeting, but I am in Geneva, Switzerland, so the commute would have been a bit tough. Get home tomorrow night.

Keep up posted. I agree that DNR would be well advised to use WaGuns as a means of communications. Not the only one, but certainly one that should be utilized.

Thanks again for the information.

http://www.kitsapsun.com/story/news/loc ... 417084001/




It's going to be a long time before we have a decent place to shoot n Tahuya though.