"No Target Shooting" California National Forest

[Pietro Beretta]

I just got back from a shooting spot I always go to in the Los Padres N.F. in California.

Their was a sign posted, NO TAREGET SHOOTING. Now I know they do this when fire season sets in and the risk of fire is high.

However when talking to the ranger posted their, he mentiond to me that "they" were going to ban Target Shooting in any National Forest in California at all times from now on PERIOD.

Does anyone know if this is the truth or not.

Where in the hell am I supposed to go and shoot my rifles now?! I am not a hunter, I dont like the gamey taste.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH any info would be helpful. Im looking for details myself but cant find any.....

 

[Amish_Bill]

I thought the National Forrest areas were pure Federal jurisdiction. Was that a State or Fed guy telling you this?

 

[Luchtaine]

yeah the state shouldn't be able to do jack about national forest. I go to a range run by Fish and game up in arrowhead but its only 200 yards.

 

[dasmi]

I go to a range run by Fish and game up in arrowhead but its only 200 yards.

Would you mind PMing me and telling me where it is? I'm up in Arrowhead three or four times a year for vacation, and a place to shoot would be great.

 

[thorn726]

some regs

well eldorado forest web site hasnt changed-
http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/eldorado/recreation/shooting.html

 

[Pietro Beretta]

The person who told me this was a (snobby) Forest Ranger.

Oh and he was sure to check all my firearms I was carrying were legal, Bastard! (Of course they are legal)

Ok I found an article HERE
News Releases: 2005

News Release
USDA Forest Service

Los Padres National Forest

Contact: Mary Blair, (805) 646-4348 x 317 or Joe Pasinato 805-961-5745
Date: September 20, 2005


Further Fire Restrictions in Effect September 24 in Los Padres National Forest

In response to increasing fire danger, Los Padres National Forest officials today announced that they are imposing additional fire restrictions throughout the forest beginning Saturday, September 24.

Current restrictions affect the use of campfires, stoves, smoking materials and the operation of internal combustion engines. Beginning on Saturday September 24, recreational target shooting will be prohibited in Los Padres National Forest except at the Winchester Gun Club in Santa Barbara County and the Ojai Valley Gun Club in Ventura County. Hunting, with a valid State of California hunting permit, is exempt from this restriction. These restrictions will remain in effect until fire season ends, probably in late autumn after two inches of rain.

The following will be in effect until the close of fire season.

Open fires, campfires or charcoal fires will not be permitted outside of designated Campfire Use Sites, even with a valid California Campfire Permit.

Lanterns and portable stoves using gas, jellied petroleum or pressurized liquid fuel will be permitted outside of designated Campfire Use Sites, but only with a valid California Campfire Permit (available free-of-charge at any Forest Service office).

Forest visitors must clear all flammable material for a distance of five feet in all directions from their camp stove, have a shovel available, and ensure that a responsible person attends the stove at all times when it is in use.

Smoking will not be permitted, except within an enclosed vehicle, building, or at a Campfire Use Site.

Internal combustion engines may be operated only on roads or trails that are designated for such use (this restriction is in effect year-round). Please make sure your engine is tuned, operating properly and has an approved spark arrester.

All recreational target shooting in the forest will be prohibited, except at the Winchester Gun Club and the Ojai Valley Gun Club. (No where near me)

Forest Supervisor Gloria Brown cited the dry conditions, low live fuel moistures, and extreme fire danger in her decision to prohibit target shooting in most areas of the national forest. "Unfortunately, we have had several wildfires result from target shooting in recent years," explained Brown. "A bullet striking an object like a rock, could easily spark a wildfire with the abundant grass growth this year".

Recently, a number of unattended campfires have been reported. Visitors are reminded that campfires must be attended at all times, and completely extinguished prior to departing from a campsite, even for a short period of time.

For a list of Developed Recreation Sites and Campfire Use Sites (see attached) in Los Padres National Forest, or further information regarding fire-safe camping, contact your nearest Forest Service office or visit the "Recreation Activities" section of Los Padres National Forest website.

I called their number at the top, and it is for the CURRENT fire season for Los Padres. Thankfully, I got a little scarrred right Tharr!

 

[J Miller]

It's an epidemic. The NFS closed a big section of the National Forest near Phoenix about 5 years ago. They are just one big anti-gun organization.

Yet they allow the quads to tear the forest all to shreads. Go figure.


Joe

 

[thorn726]

ok after reading all this, you guys gotta get over it.

Smoking will not be permitted, except within an enclosed vehicle, building, or at a Campfire Use Site.

Internal combustion engines may be operated only on roads or trails that are designated for such use (this restriction is in effect year-round). Please make sure your engine is tuned, operating properly and has an approved spark arrester.

"Yet they allow the quads to tear the forest all to shreads. Go figure."

is incorrect.

theyre having really bad fires already. what do you really expect. you cant even smoke cigarettes in the woods right now.
AND it has a clear end- 2 inches of rain (basically one good storm) and the ban is lifted. considering it is already october, you are WAY overreacting.

notice there is no such ban up north either

 

[Nimitz]

I thought firearms and national forrest = big no no?

Chad

 

[rick_reno]

I'd get his/her name and write my Congressman - assuming you have one that might support you.

 

[Standing Wolf]

No shortage of wannabe little Hitlers, I guess.

 

[Shield529]

Hitler????? Over a temporary ban to prevent fires.
This rule is common sence not abuse of power. This forum is getting a little overboard with the hatred of any law or authorety(sic).

 

[Amish_Bill]

The explanation of this being a temporary measure because of fire hazzard makes it much less inflamatory than how it initially sounded.

 

[0007]

Best don't hold your breath waiting for it to be recended after fire season.

 

[Car Knocker]

Nimitz, I bet you're thinking about National Parks. National Forests are a whole different ball game.

 

[No_Brakes23]

Standing Wolf wins the Godwin prize in only 11 comments.

 

[Standing Wolf]

What, pray, does target shooting have to do with forest fires? It's okay to build fires, but not shoot at targets?

Yeah. Right.

I'd say it's just one more way government does its best—or "worst," as the case may be—to keep commoners from making use of the nation's forests.

 

[Shield529]

Not ok to build fires, it's right there in the rules:
"Open fires, campfires or charcoal fires will not be permitted outside of designated Campfire Use Sites, even with a valid California Campfire Permit".

No such rules in the forests here. It happens during fire season in several states every year.

Standing Wolf I am begining to worry about you.

 

[Standing Wolf]

Standing Wolf I am begining to worry about you.

Be careful, eh? So did my mother, but look what happened to her.

 

[Nimitz]

Nimitz, I bet you're thinking about National Parks. National Forests are a whole different ball gam

Thanks for the clarifcation...are many national forests also national parks?...

Chad

 

[junyo]

Of course the stupid thing about it is that forest fires are part of the natural cycle of the forest, inevitable, and healthy for the environment. Controlled, scheduled burns would clear the underbrush that fuels the widespread and more highly destructive wild fires, and limit the recreational downtime/inconvenience to wildlands users. But instead, we'll spend a boatload of money to try and keep everybody and their uncle from creating a spark in within a few gazillion acres of forest and allow the underbrush more time to grow until it'll cost millions to fight the blaze and repair the damge when a lightning strike torches it anyway.

 

[STW]

What, pray, does target shooting have to do with forest fires?

The Lytle Creek fire of 1970 was caused (as I recall) by a ricochet while someone was shooting in the area.

It doesn't take much when the SoCal mountains want to burn.

 

[Car Knocker]

Nimitz,

I"m not aware of any dual designations. Parks and forests are managed by different agencies and to different purposes. A NF can become a NP, but I doubt the reverse would ever happen. NFs often abut NPs and serve as buffers with civilizations.

 

[No_Brakes23]

Controlled, scheduled burns would clear the underbrush that fuels the widespread and more highly destructive wild fires

Yup. And our failure to do that in Cali costs us in that we inevitibly have insane fires every autumn or summer.

I have had to evac from two already, (Laguna '93, San Diego '03)

 

[El Rojo]

Shooting can cause sparks and fires, especially when people are dumb about it. However, hunters cause fires too, like the guy who started one of the big PRK fires last year after he got lost deer hunting and started a fire as a signal. I have been dealing with fire restrictions in the forrest for a while now. I don't get upset about it, that is just the way it is late in the fire season. They will resend that just as soon as it starts snowing or raining, so why worry? It has not proven to be a slippery slope.