Recreational Target Shooting Clean Up, Sept. 14

Of the 807 human caused fires in 2015 on ODF protected lands, it is estimated that discharging firearms caused 25 of them, usually because a hot bullet fragment comes into contact with flammable materials, such as dry vegetation. A group of recreational target shooters is working to reduce those numbers. On August 27 members of Northwest Firearms teamed up with the Oregon Department of Forestry to cleanup target shooting areas on the Tillamook State Forest in an effort to promote responsible target shooting and fire safety. Unlike target ranges designed for shooting, most areas on public lands are not developed specifically for shooting. “Target shooting on state lands has been steadily growing in terms of use levels — resources and management strategies have not kept pace with the activity,” said Wayne Auble, Forest Grove Assistant District Forester for the Oregon Department of Forestry. “It is taking place across the forest in ways that create unsafe situations for people, increased fire risk, damage to trees and other resources, and litter. The partnership developed with Northwest Firearms will be valuable as management strategies are developed for this popular recreational activity on the forest.” Northwest Firearms members are working with ODF’s Forest Grove District to reduce the risks associated with target shooting, including modifying a few sites to make them more fire resistant, safer to use and to better direct activity away from trees and other natural resources that can be damaged by shooting. “The sites are safer and more fire resistant” said Bryan Olson, a Northwest Firearms member who participated in the cleanup. “Signage around the area demonstrates how to use the area responsibly.” Debris burning has been and continues to be the leader among all human caused wildfires. In 2015, 183 fires resulting from debris burning charred 335 acres on ODF protected lands.