NEW SHOOTING LANE ABOUT TO DROP INTO THE SANTIAM

Trash No Land, the Oregon Dept of Forestry, NRA Foundation, Oregon Dept of Fish & Wildlife and Oregon Dept of Transportation have partnered to improve to a decommissioned gravel quarry for recreational target shooting.  The site is currently used for target shooting and is located in the Santiam State Forest, East of Scotts Mills and NE of the Crooked Finger area.  It’s location, and physical characteristics are ideal for public safety and fire prevention.  It’s a place with few (to no) conflicts with other types of recreation.  It will offer a 100 yard range.  The bowl shaped high sidewalls with dirt bases also offer excellent opportunities for tactical maneuvers exercise or competition training.

The benefits of this improvement are Public Safety, Fire Prevention, Easy to comply with target shooting regs, Attractive place to shoot, Features to accommodate various types of shooting but the primary firing line is 100 yards.

The final details been wrapped up and work begins in mid October, 2021. Work is to be completed by end of October.

Trash No Land is contributing with general funds from donations.  The NRA Foundation awarded a grant that pays for the excavation contractor.  ODF is providing all the 1 1/2″ gravel, security gate at the entrance and transporting the gravel material.  ODF&W is providing the primary berm backstop gravel (1/4-#10 Washed) with delivery, and transportation of the jersey barriers firing line.  ODOT is providing the jersey barriers firing line.  Design and planning was a collaborative effort with Trash No Land and the Oregon Dept of Forestry.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

Trash No Land is providing night security at the site during construction to keep an eye on the equipment.  Besides having a gate with lock and chain, we have 2 people camping there each night for the duration of the project.  It should be completed by Oct 30th.

We still need volunteers to join the security force commit to camping a night or two for the week of 10-24.

REVEAL DAY

We will have a Reveal Day on Saturday, October 30th, at 9 AM.  There will be a brief meeting to discuss the features, benefits and reasons for this project and touch on the potential for more.  We ask volunteers to join in planting some shrubs along a 120 ft long sidewall berm, (this will be a side berm that blocks the view and temptation to shoot out into the forest), and we’ll give a shout out to all who were involved.

TEMPORARY FOREST CLOSURE

This part of the Santiam State Forest is currently closed to the public while ODF treats it from the recent fires.  Lots of logging and contractor activity out there!  Therefore, target shooting is not an option at this time.  We will be posting as soon as they open back up (not sure when that will be)!

RECREATIONAL TARGET SHOOTING

This improvement for recreational shooting is for all who wish to partake in free shooting on public lands.  While it may be free to shoot 7 days a week, it is not a ‘free-for-all’ or ‘anything goes’ type of place!  No place on pubic land is like that.

It is YOUR place to shoot and YOU own it.  It is imperative that we all Share~N~Care for this place, (as well as any other dispersed shooting place in the forest), with routine volunteer stewardship.  We must show ownership in our places to shoot by keeping them clean and shooting within the rules, or we may loose them.

Project contact:  Bill Cogley Info@trashnoland.org

Thanks all.  Enjoy!

Bill Cogley
Trash No Land

 

Update 10-18-21

We broke ground on the improvements to a dispersed shooting place in the Santiam State Forest, East of Scotts Mills, Oregon.

It’s an old decommissioned gravel quarry that shooters have been using for years, but now will receive attractive upgrades that will enhance public safety, lower the risk of wildfire, and provide a place where it’s easy to comply with state target shooting rules.

We installed a temporary gate for construction, got a good start on excavating a mound of dirt that’s in the way, picked up some wood chips for when we plant a few natives on the 30th, and enjoyed a peaceful camp out to help protect the equipment (We camp each night for the duration of the project. Let me know if you’d like to join the Security Detail Team to help!).

This part of the Santiam State Forest is closed to the public while ODF treats it from the recent fires. Lots of logging and contractor activity out there! We will be posting as soon as they open back up (not sure when that will be)!

Our contractor is George of G.V. Excavation.

UPDATE 10-24-21

It was a very wet and windy weekend at my Home on the Range!  So, what do you do when it’s too wet to plow?  You suck it up and plow anyway!

The primary goal for this weekend was to clean up the Jersey Barriers.  The barriers are our firing line and the first thing you will see when driving in.  I’d hate to see an ugly firing line!  They will be put in place next week and this was the only chance to clean them.  They could be cleaner but I ran out of solvent for the remaining paint spots.

Saturday afternoon, I used up 250 gallons of water and had to go hunt some down in Silverton.  Thanks to the Silver Spur RV Park, I was able to fill up with another 200 gallons.

Our contractor, George of G.V. Excavation, will be finishing up the project next week.

Our final detail will be on next Saturday, Oct 30th, when we need some volunteers to help plant over 50 shrubs in that sidewall berm (pic below).  We will also chat about why this improvement, why not more places like this and shout out some kudo’s to those involved in making this happen. Hope you can make it next Saturday!

Google Maps:  https://goo.gl/maps/5vwJjHmcKVAsFHPZ9

 

GPS:  44.928302886410776, -122.48931365743354

Bill