BLM to shut down target Shooting...

Cogs · Jul 7, 2015

This just came in. Looks a little late but we can still comment until July 23rd. email comments to... ([email protected]).

See their plan at; http://www.blm.gov/or/plans/rmpswesternoregon

So, we sit around and complain from the convenience of our keyboards, yet, we won't get out and do something to make a difference. We need to speak up! Get out in the woods and communicate to other shooters! Contact local BLM, USFS and State Forestry's! We need a ton of Second Amendment believers out in the woods working to save our right to shoot on public land. But, as we sit back and enjoy the good life, they are planning to take it away.

This is not a conspiracy theory I dreamed up. It's for real. Everyday! They really are working and planning on hitting us at all angles to take away our rights, anytime they can, knowing we really won't put up a fuss until after it's said and done. At that time, who's going to publicize our gripes about it? HA! They also control the media!

So what can you do?
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Read the full NRA ILA article here: https://www.nraila.org/articles/201...in-western-oregon-will-affect-target-shooting

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CHLChris · Jul 7, 2015

They made sure to keep the greater PDX area out of it so fewer people will complain.

Caveman Jim · Jul 7, 2015

They are some real sneaky snakes that lie and deceive to get what they want.
First the Oregon liberal legislature enact more useless gun regulations that will do absolutely nothing then the Liberal Feds get on the bandwagon to slap gun owners while we're down. When will it stop? NEVER!!!

Should have listened when the warning first came out..... "Wednesday, June 17, 2015 "

bakersman345 · Jul 7, 2015

I sent a long email. (calm and collected)
-its not fair. I was thinking about it the other day its like America is in the twilight zone and everything is azz backwards.

45alive · Jul 7, 2015

YOURSUPREMECOMMANDER · Jul 8, 2015

Cogs said:
This just came in. Looks a little late but we can still comment until July 23rd. email comments to... ([email protected]).

See their plan at; http://www.blm.gov/or/plans/rmpswesternoregon

So, we sit around and complain from the convenience of our keyboards, yet, we won't get out and do something to make a difference. Boy, aren't we just like a bunch of Republicans! We need to speak up! Get out in the woods and communicate to other shooters! Contact local BLM, USFS and State Forestry's! We need a ton of Second Amendment believers out in the woods working to save our right to shoot on public land. But, as we sit back and enjoy the good life, they are planning to take it away.

This is not a conspiracy theory I dreamed up. It's for real. Everyday! They really are working and planning on hitting us at all angles to take away our rights, anytime they can, knowing we really won't put up a fuss until after it's said and done. At that time, who's going to publicize our gripes about it? HA! They also control the media!

So what can you do?
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Oregon: Draft Plan for BLM Lands in Western Oregon Will Affect Target Shooting

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has released a draft plan for managing 2.5 million acres of Federal public land in Western Oregon. The planning area encompasses BLM's Coos Bay, Eugene, Medford, Roseburg and Salem Districts and the Lakeview District's Klamath Falls Field Office.

The plan is available on line at http://www.blm.gov/or/plans/rmpswesternoregon. The plan presents 5 alternatives for managing these lands into the future. Depending on the alternative, between 18,000 and 135,000 acres are proposed for closure to target shooting.

The BLM is hosting open houses to discuss the plan. The schedule of meetings for discussion of the recreation component of the plan is as follows:
June 24th: Recreation workshop, Eugene, OR
June 25th: Recreation workshop, Salem, OR
Information on the times and locations of the meetings can be found here.

The public comment period is open until July 23rd and comments can be emailed or on the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management's website.

If you recreate on BLM Western Oregon lands, including target shooting and hunting, the recreation workshops will be important to understanding the impact of the draft plan on your activities. Please also take the time to review BLM's alternatives in terms of acreage that is proposed for closure to target shooting and acreage that would be emphasized for target shooting. Please attend one of the meetings and review the draft plan and submit comments voicing your opposition to any arbitrary closure of public lands to target shooting.
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We the people have some sway, yes.

But what about the deep pockets like Cabellas, and other large stores that make money off shooters? Is there some way to get them involved in our lobbying efforts?

Follow the money.

Just tonight I was on the computer about to purchase an expensive new rifle, but all bets are off if the forest is closing. I do not like to shoot at gun clubs or shooting ranges.

This whole think about the continual erosion of our rights for political agendas makes me want to puke!

Cogs · Jul 8, 2015

45alive said:

Ain't it the truth!

Cogs · Jul 8, 2015

Caveman Jim said:
Should have listened when the warning first came out..... "Wednesday, June 17, 2015 "

Wish I'd have seen it then. Did someone start a thread about this at that time? I need to do an NRA membership (and an OHA, and a ..... Ah, when I win the lottery!)

Cogs · Jul 8, 2015

bakersman345 said:
I sent a long email. (calm and collected)

Good move, bakersman. We all need to send in our comments. Right away! I'll work on mine this evening after work.

When you think of all the recreation groups out there and their desire to save and expand their places to play, BLM will surely get a ton of comments from them. They are collective groups who are focused on what they want, they have a lot of clubs and organizations and all work together to push through their agenda. AND THEY WIN! I say good for them that they spent, sometimes, years working on getting authorization to have land set aside for their recreational purpose and they got their trails built.

We cannot sit back and hope the NRA does it for us. We need to 'come along side' them and add fuel to their efforts. In your letter to BLM, be sure to reference your membership with Northwest Firearms, NRA and/or any other organization you belong to. It's important that they realize there are more than just NRA members who want to preserve the right to shoot outdoors. It doesn't matter what state or part of a state you live in because one day it will happen in your area. And it doesn't matter if you only shoot at developed ranges. Shutting down target and hunting in any part of the state(s) matters because it's an attack on our right to our kind of recreation. We represent recreational shooting, of all kinds, on public land.

Bill

Mark W. · Jul 8, 2015

Not saying we shouldn't comment and fight this tooth and nail but in Western Oregon BLN is a minor land manager take a look at this Salem district map as an example.

http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/salem/images/SalemDetailedMap.jpg

Even if they get to close the land they manage to target shooting there will still be a huge amount of area to shoot in.

Cogs · Jul 8, 2015

Mark W. said:
Not saying we shouldn't comment and fight this tooth and nail but in Western Oregon BLN is a minor land manager take a look at this Salem district map as an example.

http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/salem/images/SalemDetailedMap.jpg

Even if they get to close the land they manage to target shooting there will still be a huge amount of area to shoot in.

True, but, if we give an inch there, they will take a mile elsewhere. All because no one cared in the first place.

3MTA3 · Jul 8, 2015

Caveman Jim said:
They are some real sneaky snakes that lie and deceive to get what they want.
First the Oregon liberal legislature enact more useless gun regulations that will do absolutely nothing then the Liberal Feds get on the bandwagon to slap gun owners while we're down. When will it stop? NEVER!!!

Should have listened when the warning first came out..... "Wednesday, June 17, 2015 "

This the one? https://www.nraila.org/articles/201...in-western-oregon-will-affect-target-shooting

While we are worked up and distracted by the 2A rape by Oregon's Legislature it's been hard to keep our eyes everywhere.

Edit: Fixed link

3MTA3 · Jul 8, 2015

Cogs said:
True, but, if we give an inch there, they will take a mile elsewhere. All because no one cared in the first place.

That's EXACTLY how the progressive anti-gun agenda works. It's like being swarmed by piranha - eaten one tiny bite at a time.

Mark W. · Jul 8, 2015

I never said to give anything. I was just pointing out this can't stop target shooting in the woods.

Cogs · Jul 8, 2015

Well, for what it's worth, I sent off my letter to BLM. Not real sure that this hits the target. If you go to their link, good luck trying to find where they discuss closing target shooting! I spent a couple hours trying to locate that information and haven't found it yet. So, I'm trusting that the NRA had found it and that it's true. I wish they would have included a reference link that directs you the the place where this info can be easily verified.

This email is kind of long... sorry!
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To whom it may concern,

I am Bill Cogley, Volunteer Coordinator for Northwest Firearms dot com. We are a web site organization, of over 34,000 members, designed to support gun owners of the Pacific Northwest. I would like to express my concerns about the current, and future, use of our public lands as it pertains to Recreational Target Shooting and Hunting.

Our organization strives to impress, upon our members, the importance of good stewardship of our public lands and forests. We have had multiple conversations about target shooting, hunting, access, ethical conduct and rules on public land. We conduct volunteer clean up events, of target shooting locations, that have resulted in several thousands of pounds of trash removed from public land. Those efforts have been conducted in Mt Hood National Forest, Tillamook State Forest, BLM land in Benton County Oregon, and in Washington State Yacolt Burn State Forest. Our clean up efforts have tripled this year, over last, and we are planning more for 2015. We do this because we care about how our public land is being treated and that we desire to preserve our inherited American right to shoot outdoors.

This year we have developed, and implemented, a new outreach program designed to educate and raise awareness of target shooting rules, ethics and conduct on public land. Our Target Shooter Information Program, developed in cooperation with the Mt Hood National Forest Service Ranger District office in Estacada Oregon, is operated by volunteers who staff an information booth in the forest and communicate one-on-one with target shooters who are on their way to shoot for the day. We hand out fliers, from USFS, about the rules for Recreational Target Shooting, maps that highlight closures and trail areas, inform of any current hazardous conditions, offer free legal targets, ear plugs and trash bags. We also caution about resource damage and direct people to locations that are acceptable and safe for shooting.

We believe this program has the potential to increase awareness of our concerns and will begin to make a difference in the sport of Recreational Target Shooting. While this program is still in the early stages, we are currently planning to expand into other public lands in hopes of achieving a greater impact with our message. A message, we hope, you will embrace as well.

We all understand, there has been a problem with trash on public lands for many years. Some caused by household and construction dumping, some by campers and other recreationalists, and some by target shooting. The target shooting problem has only escalated in recent years, in the Portland Metropolitan area, and, I believe, could be attributed to the increase in gun sales along with long waiting list lines at the local gun ranges. This situation has sent many target shooters onto public land for their recreational activity.

I am one of those who is fairly new to public land shooting. I have found it has been very difficult to identify who manages the land and what their rules are. Many others, I have talked with, are experiencing the same frustration.

Here are a few suggestions that may help in our fight to battle trash on public land.

Make your rules easily accessible and well known.

Increase the promotion and participation of a Forest Watch program.

Increase Law Enforcement efforts, to establish a sense of seriousness for disobeying the rules.

Encourage gun owners to participate in clean ups, habitat restoration and other resource saving efforts.

and

Consider developing designated target shooting locations, attractive to target shooters, that would encourage participation over undesirable places.

Most people, I believe, are of a sound mind with a good heart and a healthy desire to recreate responsibly. Their intentions are good but may lack an understanding of the rules and conduct expected concerning this type of recreational activity. Please do not punish all, by closing down target shooting and hunting, just because of the few bad ones. I believe the answer, to our problem of trash on public land, will be found in communication, awareness, participation, enforcement and partnership. I am sure, the answer will not be found by closing down recreational opportunities.

With renewed efforts to address this problem, we can do good things... Together. I urge you to consider the 'good' that could be done.

Thank you,

Bill Cogley
Northwest Firearms
Volunteer Coordinator

Web site: Northwestfirearms.com
Volunteer Center
Mt Hood Partnering Video

Stomper · Jul 8, 2015

You all DO realize that everyone is slowly, inexoribly, being herded into concentrated areas of population... all the easier to be tracked and controlled.

bakersman345 · Jul 8, 2015

Off topic a little but June saw more background checks done then any other June since ot started at 1.3 million. Maybe it means more people are buying guns, a d more people will grow fond of our shared passion and join the fight.

3MTA3 · Jul 9, 2015

Cogs said:
Well, for what it's worth, I sent off my letter to BLM. Not real sure that this hits the target. If you go to their link, good luck trying to find where they discuss closing target shooting! I spent a couple hours trying to locate that information and haven't found it yet. So, I'm trusting that the NRA had found it and that it's true. I wish they would have included a reference link that directs you the the place where this info can be easily verified.

This email is kind of long... sorry!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To whom it may concern,

I am Bill Cogley, Volunteer Coordinator for Northwest Firearms dot com. We are a web site organization, of over 34,000 members, designed to support gun owners of the Pacific Northwest. I would like to express my concerns about the current, and future, use of our public lands as it pertains to Recreational Target Shooting and Hunting.

Our organization strives to impress, upon our members, the importance of good stewardship of our public lands and forests. We have had multiple conversations about target shooting, hunting, access, ethical conduct and rules on public land. We conduct volunteer clean up events, of target shooting locations, that have resulted in several thousands of pounds of trash removed from public land. Those efforts have been conducted in Mt Hood National Forest, Tillamook State Forest, BLM land in Benton County Oregon, and in Washington State Yacolt Burn State Forest. Our clean up efforts have tripled this year, over last, and we are planning more for 2015. We do this because we care about how our public land is being treated and that we desire to preserve our inherited American right to shoot outdoors.

This year we have developed, and implemented, a new outreach program designed to educate and raise awareness of target shooting rules, ethics and conduct on public land. Our Target Shooter Information Program, developed in cooperation with the Mt Hood National Forest Service Ranger District office in Estacada Oregon, is operated by volunteers who staff an information booth in the forest and communicate one-on-one with target shooters who are on their way to shoot for the day. We hand out fliers, from USFS, about the rules for Recreational Target Shooting, maps that highlight closures and trail areas, inform of any current hazardous conditions, offer free legal targets, ear plugs and trash bags. We also caution about resource damage and direct people to locations that are acceptable and safe for shooting.

We believe this program has the potential to increase awareness of our concerns and will begin to make a difference in the sport of Recreational Target Shooting. While this program is still in the early stages, we are currently planning to expand into other public lands in hopes of achieving a greater impact with our message. A message, we hope, you will embrace as well.

We all understand, there has been a problem with trash on public lands for many years. Some caused by household and construction dumping, some by campers and other recreationalists, and some by target shooting. The target shooting problem has only escalated in recent years, in the Portland Metropolitan area, and, I believe, could be attributed to the increase in gun sales along with long waiting list lines at the local gun ranges. This situation has sent many target shooters onto public land for their recreational activity.

I am one of those who is fairly new to public land shooting. I have found it has been very difficult to identify who manages the land and what their rules are. Many others, I have talked with, are experiencing the same frustration.

Here are a few suggestions that may help in our fight to battle trash on public land.

Make your rules easily accessible and well known.

Increase the promotion and participation of a Forest Watch program.

Increase Law Enforcement efforts, to establish a sense of seriousness for disobeying the rules.

Encourage gun owners to participate in clean ups, habitat restoration and other resource saving efforts.

and

Consider developing designated target shooting locations, attractive to target shooters, that would encourage participation over undesirable places.

Most people, I believe, are of a sound mind with a good heart and a healthy desire to recreate responsibly. Their intentions are good but may lack an understanding of the rules and conduct expected concerning this type of recreational activity. Please do not punish all, by closing down target shooting and hunting, just because of the few bad ones. I believe the answer, to our problem of trash on public land, will be found in communication, awareness, participation, enforcement and partnership. I am sure, the answer will not be found by closing down recreational opportunities.

With renewed efforts to address this problem, we can do good things... Together. I urge you to consider the 'good' that could be done.

Thank you,

Bill Cogley
Northwest Firearms
Volunteer Coordinator

Web site: Northwestfirearms.com
Volunteer Center
Mt Hood Partnering Video

Bravo, Sir!

CHLChris · Jul 9, 2015

Stomper said:
You all DO realize that everyone is slowly, inexoribly, being herded into concentrated areas of population... all the easier to be tracked and controlled.

I should just ignore this, but it is un-ignorable. Perhaps I misread, @Stomper, and you actually meant this post as sarcasm. I hope that is the case! If not, then here is my response:

SERIOUSLY? When I moved into a metropolitan area, it was because that's where I CHOSE to live. People move to the population centers because that is where the jobs are. Employers move to the population centers because that is where the people are. Cities have been growing since before the Roman Empire. There is no conspiratorial effort of some overlord society of nefarious leaders to herd sheeple into a pen for easier control. Give me a break!

45alive · Jul 9, 2015

CHLChris said:
I should just ignore this, but it is un-ignorable. Perhaps I misread, @Stomper, and you actually meant this post as sarcasm. I hope that is the case! If not, then here is my response:

SERIOUSLY? When I moved into a metropolitan area, it was because that's where I CHOSE to live. People move to the population centers because that is where the jobs are. Employers move to the population centers because that is where the people are. Cities have been growing since before the Roman Empire. There is no conspiratorial effort of some overlord society of nefarious leaders to herd sheeple into a pen for easier control. Give me a break!