Northwest Firearms Adopt-A-Site Program

[TMitchell]

I'll jump in and help. I just need to get a current discovery pass.

 

[tarster]

that sign was definitely paintballed, a bit of water would wash that off, same as the tree in the first photos, I used to paintball on a friends property and sometimes that would happen Good job cleaning up guys! one place off botkin road out towards alsea got shut down because of people trashing the place.. made me sad, its where I learned to shoot with my dad and shot for a number of years.

I always pick up the large trash when I go out and shoot on public or blm lands, bring a extra trash bag at all times.. never know when you will need to pick up some other lazy shooters garbage.

 

[TMitchell]

Made a run up through our areas, Bill. Not too bad. The first pit up from Jones was pretty trashed, but we filled up a couple 55 gal bags. Made out pretty good on brass pick-ups, also relocated all the paint off my AR500 gong.

 

[Cogs]

The whole Larch Mtn is usually in good shape for a while after Pick Up The Burn. I was surprised the first place didn't get a cleanup. We might make that our June NWFA project.

I'm hoping to hear back from DNR soon about the trash bag logistics. Will let you know soon.

Bill

 

[Cogs]

Hey Cogs,
Can you send me more info on whats involved. Im willing to try it up on Marys Peak where we normally go.
Thanks
Craig

Okay, REM. Good news coming up. I received an email back for DNR, Salem, with contact info. I'll communicate that to you when I can, sometime this weekend.

They are really (I mean REALLY) excited to hear of your interest! Way to score some points!

Bill

 

[Cogs]

Hey Cogs,
Can you send me more info on whats involved. Im willing to try it up on Marys Peak where we normally go.
Thanks
Craig

Here's the first 2 lines from the note I received from Kim Titus, District Manager at the BLM Salem District;
"I must say getting your email was a gift! Communicating with recreational shooting enthusiasts and the associated clean-up are two of the most challenging issues we face, so to get an email from a volunteer firearms organization with a desire to adopt a site is wonderful!"
So now you're on the hook, Rem! I think I am too! (Cleanups scheduling!).

Send me your email in a private message so I can get you hooked up with Paul Tigan, who is the Field Manager for the Marys Peak Field Office.

We can 3 way email to him if you like. Let me know.

Bill

 

[The Nothing]

Made it back up to Wildcat this morning. Not in horrible shape, but definitely needed some sprucing up.
Clackamas Co's finest showed up just as I was getting ready to leave and grabbed the bags I stuffed.



Also met another guy that was scoping out the spot for the first time.

 

[Rem700..300]

Sounds like the "Adopt a Site" is going to happen on Marys Peak. Meeting with Paul Tigen of B.L.M Friday the 27th. Here is some of the conversations with them. Everything has been super positive. I tried to clean up personal emails and phone numbers.


Paul and I had a great conversation this afternoon. We are going to meet next Friday the 27th at 10am in Philomath and go up to Marys Peak so he can see the areas that we've been cleaning. He has only been in Oregon since last Oct so he said it would be a lot of fun to get out. They couldn't give us enough Thanks for the help he said.
It sounds like we will probably just keep doing what we are doing as far as the cleaning. Might put some signage up later but both of us fear that it would just be another target or target holder. We might put something back towards the main Forest Service road. He is going to call the Corvallis Forest Service office about using their dumpster since the BLM office is another 15 miles for me to go. He definitely wanted the hours that we are donating and lots of pictures so he can present them and say people are doing the right thing out in the forest.
All and all really positive.

 

[Cogs]

I'll head up through Larch Mt., on the WA side, at check sites this Sunday. Will post my findings. Got camera, trash bags, note pad, binoculars... oh, I need the number to 911 in case something happens.

 

[The Nothing]

I need the number to 911 in case something happens.

you laugh, but my sister's best friend was quoted something along that lines after a traumatic event in the 90s...

 

[Cogs]

Went to visit the sites on Larch, in Yacolt Burn, WA, today. Not too bad. Until you walk into it. Then you see all the stuff in the grass and bushes. I could have cleaned up a lot more if I had the room, however, the idea was to check on the sites, collect a couple bags, report to DNR & NWFA and have some fun as we go. And the boys and I did have fun!

The pics are of the place we will meet for the June 18th cleanup event. You can see it has nice, natural, berms all around. If those trees were not there we'd have close to a couple hundred yards to shoot. People are using the trees to hold their targets so they are getting shot up.

Oh, the bikini ladies? Sorry guys, I took the ladies with me. I told them "Party at my house and they all jumped in the sack"! (I mean the bag. Trash bag. Got it?)

 

[Rem700..300]

Paul Tigan of B.L.M. office in Salem met and went up to Marys Peak on Friday for the Adopt a Site program. It was a great trip. He hadn't been in the area too much so we went up the Mary's Peak road, down the Harlen turn off and then out the North Fork Access road to Harlen/Burnt Woods. The main shooting area was still fairly clean. Picked up a small bag of shotgun shells and about a 1/2 gallon worth of brass. The second site was still fairly clean except where we hadn't cleaned up yet.
Paul was great, took a lot of pictures and they have some great map software that would be awesome to have. His office is still discussing how to do the signage if any because we all know it will most likely be used as a target. He wasn't that familiar with our web site and said he would check it out to learn more about us. I said we(The Family) would volunteer to help keep the 2 sites cleaned up and he was extremely thankful. He said he would like hours donated and pictures so he can keep his staff informed about the stuff we do. Great guy and had a great time on Friday.

 

[Cogs]

Paul Tigan of B.L.M. office in Salem met and went up to Marys Peak on Friday for the Adopt a Site program. It was a great trip. He hadn't been in the area too much so we went up the Mary's Peak road, down the Harlen turn off and then out the North Fork Access road to Harlen/Burnt Woods. The main shooting area was still fairly clean. Picked up a small bag of shotgun shells and about a 1/2 gallon worth of brass. The second site was still fairly clean except where we hadn't cleaned up yet.
Paul was great, took a lot of pictures and they have some great map software that would be awesome to have. His office is still discussing how to do the signage if any because we all know it will most likely be used as a target. He wasn't that familiar with our web site and said he would check it out to learn more about us. I said we(The Family) would volunteer to help keep the 2 sites cleaned up and he was extremely thankful. He said he would like hours donated and pictures so he can keep his staff informed about the stuff we do. Great guy and had a great time on Friday.

Good work, Rem. Glad you guys connected. I'm sure you could use another NWFA member or two to help and/or adopt a different site or two. Hopefully they'll read this section and join in.

The signs idea... Always a problem. I see the ones that don't get so shot up are Kiosk type sign boards located at places like trail heads and parking lots at trail heads, or along side the more traveled roadways (at least they seem to last longer than ones right at a shooting site).

Certainly, if the sign were placed in the shooting area, it won't last. Perhaps if it were on a main road leading to shooting areas. However, those boards are usually full of posters, fliers and various signs, so, it looks busy and there is always too much information about all kinds of recreation (cram it all onto one board). I think most will just past by and keep going!

What if the sign board had larger lettering across the top that said "Target Shooting Information". Then have the posters and fliers on the board. People could quickly and easily identify the information it contained and may be more apt to stop and look it over. Could locate it just before a shooting site, on the main road, and other ones further down the road.

Certainly will take some talking and planning.

 

[rangerlars]

Blast, Brass and Glass today out at Wildcat

Someone dumped 4 master cases of butane (BHO production) or almost 400 cans (retail value about $1000).
View attachment 291117

And there was a A LOT of brass. 22lr, 22mag, 9mm, 30.06, and 7.62 Mosin (always a lot of 7.62x54 up here).
View attachment 291118

... and my least favorite. Glass. I take my dog with me... I'm just waiting for the day he manages to cut himself open. If people have to shoot at something and leave it all behind, I'd rather cans than glass, any day.
View attachment 291119

The butane is used as a solvent to extract concentrated THC from marijuana for hash oil. It is dumped to avoid detection in regular trash stream.

 

[robertg]

Cleaned up the Wildcat site this morning. It wasn't too bad, just one bag of garbage. There were two other people shooting up there so I recruited to be new members of NWFA and then they helped me clean up the place.
A good day.

 

[The Nothing]

Things were looking better than "normal" at Wildcat this morning. Someone started shooting up produce instead of glass. And there was 100+ yards of ribbon strung up with balloons zig-zagging the lane. Cute idea, but made a mess. Nothing crazy this visit, really. Starting to think this Adopt-a-site thing is doing some good!

 

[ageingstudent]

Things were looking better than "normal" at Wildcat this morning. Someone started shooting up produce instead of glass. And there was 100+ yards of ribbon strung up with balloons zig-zagging the lane. Cute idea, but made a mess. Nothing crazy this visit, really. Starting to think this Adopt-a-site thing is doing some good!

View attachment 296167

Uh oh graffiti

 

[The Nothing]

I didn't notice the graffiti, guess that's what I get for living in the city.

 

[ageingstudent]

I didn't notice the graffiti, guess that's what I get for living in the city.

I used to do outside maintenance for condos and HOAs. I have recurring nightmares.

 

[Rem700..300]

Made it through High School graduation week. Truly awesome experience and extremely proud of our son. The wife and I got a chance to get back up to Mary's Peak and see how bad our shooting areas were after 3-4 weeks. The big area(area 2) we spent about 2 hours picking up trash and doing a little shooting ourselves. Extremely peaceful, just 1 truck at the first shooting area(area 1) on our way down to area 2. I think we caught them making a mess because they stopped and were gone shortly after we drove by. Picked up 5 heavy bags of shot shells and other misc garbage including some canned cranberries. Area 1 needs a lot of work. It is pretty trashed. The people in the truck were shooting shaving cream cans and left them with all their mess. Smelled good though. We only did the 5 bags because the Forest Service is closed on Saturday and I was using my home garbage can. Going to try and get up there this coming Friday if anyone wants to tag along. Also picked up a 2 gallon bucket of 223/.45/9mm brass. Pretty impressive. Also found a 45-70 shell. That's a big round. Having a hard time posting pics currently. Think I tried too many at a time.