Public Safety and Fire Prevention are the primary priorities.
North Fork Wolf Creek, Rifle & Pistol Lane 3
Resolve conflicts with other recreation groups
Santiam State Forest, BC 615 Quarry
User friendly and attractive.
North Fork Wolf Creek, Pistol Lane 2
Easy to clean up.
Clean up is required on all public lands.
Trash No Land is actively involved in assisting forest agencies with improving dispersed target shooting locations on public lands. We offer ideas and suggestions for site improvements from a target shooters perspective. The end result is to provide a place where target practice can be done as safely as possible, however, as with any dispersed shooting location and activity, each user is responsible for their own personal safety, public safety, actions and choices.
Improvements can happen at places that are currently being used for recreational target practice. Some locations, however, may not be suitable for improvements due to public safety, fire potential, other recreational conflicts, potential damage to natural resources and/or proximity to sensitive environmental concerns. If a site does not meet all of the requirements for a good place to shoot, it may be recommended for closing.
Many considerations are needed when choosing a good place to improve. By mapping, evaluation of existing dispersed shooting locations and feature ratings, we are able to focus on the places that could meet the required criteria with minimal effort and cost.
Through numerous meetings, site visits, designs and perspectives from a target shooters point of view, we bring viable solutions to the concerns at hand. This is the result of our efforts.
Current Situation
Target shooting has been a long standing activity on public lands that has been steadily growing in-terms of participant use levels and the number of dispersed target shooting locations. It is taking place across the forest in ways that create:
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Unsafe situations for visitors, forest employees and contractors working on the forest,
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Conflict with other visitors to the forest,
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Environmental impacts,
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Sanitation concerns,
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Increased fire potential and increased fire starts,
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Additional costs to the agency.
Policies and management strategies have not kept pace with the intensity, scope and scale of the target shooting activity.
Conceptual End in Mind
Recreational target shooting has a long history on public lands and is a supported use that integrates well with the other activities. Improved dispersed shooting locations offer solutions, features and benefits over the current situation. Including:
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Improved public and personal safety,
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Improved sanitation,
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Low impact to environmental issues,
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Reduced fire hazard risks and costs,
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Partners and partnerships that value quality recreation and support the activity,
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Sustainable opportunities for dispersed recreational target shooting.
The improvements propose to develop a strategy, partner and collaborate with forest agencies, and involve the target shooting community in ownership and stewardship. The end result is to:
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Resolve the safety, sanitation, and environmental issues.
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Reduce the fire potential associated with target shooting.
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Develop public ownership and involvement in the development and implementation of the strategy.
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Maintain safe and sustainable opportunities for recreational target shooting on our public lands.
Tillamook State Forest, North Fork Wolf Creek Rd, improved shooting sites.
Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/hfZbKnuxpqx
GPS: 45.783021, -123.365054
Goal: To prevent wildfires that could occur from target shooting, enhance public safety and lessen conflicts with others.
Google Maps view all 4 lanes.
Lane 4 needs upgraded improvements.
Four shooting lanes. Lane 1 is a 24 yard pistol range. Lane 2 is 28 yards, Lane 3 is a 60 yard rifle range with a 16 yard pistol berm. Lane 4 is 80 yards for rifle. Original design, in 2016, was simple dirt backstop berms and flat dirt lanes. In 2018, lanes 2 & 3 were upgraded with gravel lanes and impact gravel added to the berms. Improvements to lanes 1 & 4 are currently planned.
The lanes are open to the public 7 days/week, sunup to sundown, no fees, no facilities and no personnel on duty. Sites are cared for by each user. Clean up and removal of everything brought to the site is required.
Donate to help fund improvements to Lanes 1 & 4: Wolf Creek Lanes 1 & 4 Upgrades
Santiam State Forest, BC615 Pit improved shooting site.
Update on Open/Closed area of the Santiam: As of April 2022,, the North Block of the Santiam State Forest is still closed to the general public for clearing public safety hazard from recent fires. [Elk Prairie, Family Camp Road and North Block Butte Creek, Gawley Creek, Rhody Lake]. Trash No Land will post their reopening when it happens. Latest forecast to open is Oct. 30, 2022. ODF Closed/Open information:
https://www.oregon.gov/odf/recreation/Pages/santiam-state-forest.aspx
Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/1ns1U3zqM7RcLbqp9
GPS: 44.928303, -122.489314
Goal: To address the concerns of conflicts occuring between target shooting and other types of recreational activities.
Google Earth view of the BC615 Quarry site.
BC615 Quarry proposed improvements.
BC615 Quarry, Established Firing Line
BC615 Quarry, Primary Backstop Berm, 12 ft high, 1/4-#10 Gravel
(Improvements completed October, 2021. This area of the Santiam State Forest is currently closed to recreational use due to fire damage caused in 2020).
One, 105 – 115 yard lane with options for tactical training maneuvers.
To be open to the public 7 days/week, sunup to sundown, no fees, no facilities and no personnel on duty. Sites are cared for by each user. Clean up and removal of everything brought to the site is required.