Topic: BLM to severely restrict shooting on public lands

[birddog1989]

I couldn't remember if this had been posted already or not but what the hell.  Time to write, call and/or E-mail some folks and let them know what you think.  This kind of stuff is aggravating.  I like the authors summary at the end.

http://vuurwapenblog.com/2011/11/16/blm-moves-to-restrict-shooting-on-public-land/


"While this might not be of much interest to my international viewers, who might be puzzled to find that Americans can simply find a desolate spot in the wilderness and shoot to their heart's content, it should make a lot of Americans sit up and take notice.

The Bureau of Land Management, part of the executive branch of the US federal government under the Department of the Interior, wants to severely restrict, if not ban outright, shooting on public lands. Why?

Because "urban" people might "freak out" when they hear shooting. No, I'm not making this up. This extends to hunters, too, for those of you who aren't too concerned with recreational shooting.

Around here, you can pay to shoot at a range which might be very busy, or you can shoot in the desert. One popular desert shooting spot is on BLM land, but I can guarantee you that no "urbanites" go there to walk their dogs. The only visitors are shooters, drug smugglers, and law enforcement.

I'm willing to chalk this one up to stupidity in BLM instead of a concerted effort by the Obama Administration to attack gun owners - but I'm not sure which one is worse, frankly."

[freebird63]

If it is true I wonder how much of it has to do with these idiots who haul out toilets, refrigerators and any thing else woth shooting up and then not cleaning up after themselves.  Part of the area I shoot in is also a military training area, they usually send out the blackhawk helicopters to politely let us know they are going to be using the area where we are shooting and its time for us to leave.  We always pack in and pack out and sometimes we even pack out more then we brought just to keep those in charge happy.  So if they close down all the good shooting area's then everyone will head up into the hills along with their trash, I can just see it now some poor guy is putting the stock of a lifetime on a big trophy muley and some morons set up some toilets and start banging away and ruin that poor guys stock on the monster muley, he might be a little pissed off, I know I would be.  The outcome of this will be interesting.

[onemountain]

The BLM is backing down. Sort of.
http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/washington-whispers/2011/11/17/shooters-heard-interior-will-not-ban-target-practice

What I don't like about their "backtrack:"

"Our goal is to leave lands open to shooting," said an Interior official for the Bureau of Land Management"
-'Our goal is to leave them open' isn't a guarantee that they will. It's a stated intention, phrased as something- a goal- that may not necessarily be reached.

"We don't want to have to close any areas," said an official as BLM provided Washington Whispers with a statement clarifying the developing guidelines.
--- Anyone else see 'but we might be "forced" to' unwritten at the end of that?

"However, the official said it is possible that areas previously used for target practice that are too close to houses or areas of urban growth could be put off limits. The new plan would be to provide shooters with a map or guide on where they can go for target practice nearby, said the official.

"It's the difference of driving two minutes [to shoot] or 15 minutes," said the official."
---And there it is. They're probably going to ban on some lands, under the guise of safety, and it can creep outward from there.

I see this as either 1) there really was misunderstanding or 2) they wanted to openly ban shooting on some large portion of public lands, but with the backlash they're changing tactics to something more subtle- ban shooting 'too close' to cities ("Hey, that's reasonable, right? It's about safety) then expand the ban from there.

This article on the BLM supposedly backing down makes me more nervous than the first one. If there's one thing government is efficient at, it's creeping infringements upon our rights and freedoms.

[Nealio]

I don't know if you guy are aware of this or not, but this already has "happened" years ago.  There are "safety zones" already on BLM land.  For example the land west of Swan Falls road is "closed" to shooting while the land to the east is open.

[fastfire]

I don't know if you guy are aware of this or not, but this already has "happened" years ago.  There are "safety zones" already on BLM land.  For example the land west of Swan Falls road is "closed" to shooting while the land to the east is open.

I think that is the Birds Of Prey area.

[RGinIdaho]

I don't know if you guy are aware of this or not, but this already has "happened" years ago.  There are "safety zones" already on BLM land.  For example the land west of Swan Falls road is "closed" to shooting while the land to the east is open.

There are forest service grounds with similar restrictions. In my travels, I've seen safety zones on BLMand FS ground numerous times. Warm Lake is the first that comes to mind.

[Nealio]

I think that is the Birds Of Prey area.

Its not the Birds of prey area.
I was told by the BLM officer/ranger that it is a safety zone due to the Snake River recreational area being behind that area of land.

[Grumblecakes]

we have another thread around her eon this gonna copy and paste my reply:

i think the biggest enemy in this case is gonna be shooters themselves. while a good majority of shooters can go on to blm land and act responsible there are a few who cannot. the trash and shit that people leave behind certainly doesn't help. people shooting across trails and road ways doesn't help. people shooting up signs, trail markers ect really doesn't help. still i think that every group that uses public lands could be a little more respectful. dog shit all over trails and unleashed dogs certainly forms a negative opinion of dog owners when hiking. cyclist tear assing down the trail and insisting you yield the right of way so they dont have to slow down doesn't form positive opinions.

i think a good step would be to form areas designated specifically for shooting, similar to the norse range. shooting doesnt shouldnt need to be banned on public lands but if the disrespectful dbags could be encourage to stay in one area i think it could help.

i think the 'urbanites freaking out' is factor but the behavior of a few is whats gonna do shooting on public lands in before anything else does

[pv74]

we have another thread around her eon this gonna copy and paste my reply:

i think the biggest enemy in this case is gonna be shooters themselves. while a good majority of shooters can go on to blm land and act responsible there are a few who cannot. the trash and shit that people leave behind certainly doesn't help. people shooting across trails and road ways doesn't help. people shooting up signs, trail markers ect really doesn't help. still i think that every group that uses public lands could be a little more respectful. dog shit all over trails and unleashed dogs certainly forms a negative opinion of dog owners when hiking. cyclist tear assing down the trail and insisting you yield the right of way so they dont have to slow down doesn't form positive opinions.

i think a good step would be to form areas designated specifically for shooting, similar to the norse range. shooting doesnt shouldnt need to be banned on public lands but if the disrespectful dbags could be encourage to stay in one area i think it could help.

i think the 'urbanites freaking out' is factor but the behavior of a few is whats gonna do shooting on public lands in before anything else does

Yup...
I usually take a shitload of trash home with me every time I go....

Are we going to do another desert cleanup sometime?

No, I don't think there should be any sort of restrictions....and we shoot fairly far away from where the "urbanites" would go....

[onemountain]

Yup...
I usually take a shitload of trash home with me every time I go....

Are we going to do another desert cleanup sometime?

I'd definitely be down for a Boise Shooters cleanup somewhere. I get pissed off whenever I go out to the OTA and find all the junk people leave; I take some back with me every time I go out there.

[SNAFU]

I'm up for it if you guys want to do a clean up day (just alpha alone needs a clean up "month" imho).

last time I was out at Alpha it looked worse than the dump...

Packed out roughly 2x more than I packed in...doubt it even made a dent in what all is out there.

[avking]

I'm up for it if you guys want to do a clean up day (just alpha alone needs a clean up "month" imho).

last time I was out at Alpha it looked worse than the dump...

Packed out roughly 2x more than I packed in...doubt it even made a dent in what all is out there.

If you don't already know about them, there are two very nice shooting holes out here. Both within 10 minutes of your place.

[SNAFU]

If you don't already know about them, there are two very nice shooting holes out here. Both within 10 minutes of your place.

nope, haven't had the time to look or ask yet.

[mikedamerell]

If someone sets up a clean-up I am in.  Please post the time and date.