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I havn't been able to confirm this but my friend just talked to TonsofOregonBrass at the gun show today and they said now they rock quarries are closed as of thursday. No reason why from the forest service. Can anybody confirm this? Its not on their website yet, I called their offices but they are not open today.
 
We are getting ready to make an announcement about this. We are working on getting our ducks in a row with OFF and the NRA first though. Here is a link to the site with the announcement. It is a little bit down the page but you can download the offical announcement.

In fact here is the text of it: from this link:
www.fs.fed.us/r6/mthood

Mt. Hood National Forest
16400 Champion Way
Sandy, OR 97055 Date: August 5, 2009
H-21-09


For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Rick Acosta at 503-706-4497 (cell)

Area Closed to Target Shooting

Sandy, OR – In order to ensure the safety of the public, all target shooting is now prohibited within an area surrounding the first approximately seven miles of Road 4500 (commonly known as the Memaloose Road). Shooting is also prohibited on all connecting spur roads along this stretch of road. There has been an increase in target shooting within this area of the Clackamas River Ranger District. The closure to target shooting in this area is due to its lack of adequate backstops to provide safe shooting and because of the potential risk of bullet shells landing near camp sites, roads, and rivers where people recreate. While this specific area will be closed to target shooting, there still remains many areas, such as some rock quarries, where visitors are allowed to practice target shooting.

The target shooting has also been causing damage to the surrounding vegetation and river habitat. Many trees are dying or even being felled as a result of the shooting. While operating guns is a permitted form of recreation on public lands, there are certain restrictions imposed to protect both the natural lands as well as the visiting public. Safety is always of utmost importance to the Forest Service. According to the Forest Service regulations, operating a fire arm within 150 yards of a residence, across any Forest Service road or body of water, or in any way that may harm human life, is prohibited on public lands.

The Forest Service reminds gun operators to practice safe shooting techniques including using a safe back stop (not rocks, trees, electronic devices, or home appliances), being conscious of where your bullets are going and the impact they might have on the surrounding area, caring for the land by packing out what you bring in including any trash or spent shells, and scouting out the area for people that might be within the shooting range. The new road closure is being enforced by law enforcement officers from the Clackamas County Sheriff Department, Bureau of Land Management, and Forest Service. Clean up and public education is provided by Clackamas County Dumpstoppers. For more information, please contact Sharon Hernandez at 503-630-6861.

We are still planning the Full auto shoot there, as there are a couple other ranges, and we are looking at a special use permit. we will know more in the next couple days, or a week or two as we work with OFF and the NRA.

we will be providing the forrest suppervisors name and number shortly, so everyone can contact the boss of the people responsible.
 
TonsofOregonBrass, this is the same letter for weeks ago when they shut down the first 6.8 miles to shooting, the rock quarry is at 6.8 miles and is not shut down if this is what you have been referring people to. I didn't actually tlak to you at the show, my roommate did and he made it sound like the hole place is closed. This just means the dangerous places where people have no backstop and are hitting trees are closed, the quarries and beyond are still open.
 
it is the same, but edited, if you look at it they moved the no shooting zone to 7 miles now. At 7 miles the main rock quarry is closed now. leaving only a couple ranges that during the winter get several feet of snow.

Through an inside source, (i worked for the forest service for 7 years, and know a lot of people still) they are planning on closing more. This will effectively close the area to shooting all together.

We agree some ranges are not safe, but there should be an alternative besides closure. The area can be made safe fairly easily. That is what we are working towards right now.
 
it is the same, but edited, if you look at it they moved the no shooting zone to 7 miles now. At 7 miles the main rock quarry is closed now. leaving only a couple ranges that during the winter get several feet of snow.

Through an inside source, (i worked for the forest service for 7 years, and know a lot of people still) they are planning on closing more. This will effectively close the area to shooting all together.

We agree some ranges are not safe, but there should be an alternative besides closure. The area can be made safe fairly easily. That is what we are working towards right now.

No it says "APPROXIMATLY" 7 miles, the signs out there say 6.8 which is pretty close to 7, meaning the quarries are still open, unless there are new signs or a letter on the MT Hood NF website(which there is not) i am going to continue to shoot. I think you may be reading the release wrong
 
you are correct on the approximately part. And the signs haven't been changed yet. However the government works a little slower then the rest of us, I will shoot there myself until the signs are changed. But be ready for the signs to change. we are working hard to stop the change from happening.

I fully understand the skepticism, every time some one said this was being done we were the first to say hold on, we have an inside source and they confirmed it for us. If i was you would still doubt until it happens. but be ready for it. If we are wrong or mis-informed we will be the first to announce it, and we wouldn't be putting this out if we were not sure it is happening.
 
Was up there today. The closure is 6.8 miles up the road, this comes to right at the beginning of the quarry. Lots of people shooting at the quarry today. Here is a pic of the sign; Sorry the pic is so big, not sure how to make it smaller.
sign at bridge
 
We had someone up at the quarry today, he said it was full. We called a law enforcement officer we know who works that area, they were not aware of the .2 miles being added to the 6.8 closure already. they said it was being discussed but hadn't gone through yet. We are going in to find out what the official stance on this is, and clear up any confusion.
 
OK, we just got through with a meeting at the forest service.

There response is "there was a mis-communication"

The top rock quarry's are still open, it was only discussed to close them. However the incorrect information was put out.

we have a written statement from them that it is still open, I will scan this and post it later today.

We asked a lot of people at the show to email the forest service and let them know you don't agree with the area being shut down. In our talks with them they said they have received about 30 emails. (thank you everyone who has emailed them and let them know).

They said they are getting a lot of flak for the closures, so we need to keep up the emails, and phone calls.

here is who you should contact about the area being closed. this is the persons boss and the head of the region 6 (oregon / washington)

Gary L. Larsen - Forest Supervisor

* Telephone: 503.668.1700; Fax: 503.668.1794

the number above is a switchboard number, just ask to leave him a message.
 
We asked a lot of people at the show to email the forest service and let them know you don't agree with the area being shut down. In our talks with them they said they have received about 30 emails. (thank you everyone who has emailed them and let them know).

They said they are getting a lot of flak for the closures, so we need to keep up the emails, and phone calls.

here is who you should contact about the area being closed. this is the persons boss and the head of the region 6 (oregon / washington)

Gary L. Larsen - Forest Supervisor

* Telephone: 503.668.1700; Fax: 503.668.1794

the number above is a switchboard number, just ask to leave him a message.

Congrats on getting your voices heard. This is the way to handle these issues. I believe someone mentioned shooting there anyways as a way to stop the closures. That just gets you a fine and makes shooters look like law breakers. We get a bad enough rap as is. Really seems like it may be the few who feel the need to leave trash and shoot trees that are making it hard for the rest of us to find places to shoot.
 
I was also up there Sunday, the longer-range spot just above the rock quarry. Had a "Volunteer", forest service I think, show up and tell us the area was closed. We politely pleaded our case about the sign at the bottom and that we were above the stated "closed" section, but he got pissy and told us to do "whatever we wanted", indicating we'd get in trouble with the law. We held up shooting for a bit, expecting L.E. to arrive, none did. We resumed shooting, writing off the volunteer as yet another ill-informed government clown, maybe even taking advantage of the current confusion and pushing his own personal agenda. He may be volunteering his time, but his truck, gas, etc, are all gvt sponsored, and it pisses me off to have him tooling around spouting mis-information with an attitude.
Other than that, it was a great day. BTW, there were people shooting at the quarry all day long.
 
The Volunteer who informed you it was closed, what kind of a truck was he driving, color, make, and what did he look like?

we know many of the volunteers and would love to let them know so they don't keep informing people inaccurately.
 
I dont typically shoot at memaloose but I do a few times a year and I hate to see it get closed for everyone else and the principle of the thing. I would like to help let them know how I feel
 

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