[owl hooting]
[up beat music] [shots fired]
Recreational target shooting is a great way to get out and enjoy your National Forests
like with any recreational activity on public land it's important
that you participate in a manner that is respectful for both the environment,
the resource, and for the safety and protection of other Forest visitors.
Here on the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest were an urban interface
National Forest just outside the Seattle metro-area with literally millions of visitors every year.
In general all National Forest lands are open to recreational
target shooting provided it's not specifically prohibited by Forest Service Order.
We do ask that when you come out and recreationally target shoot
on the National Forest that you do follow some pretty basic safety rules.
For example, on the National Forest is illegal to discharge a firearm within a
hundred and fifty yards of a residence, a building, a campsite, a developed recreation site,
or an occupied area, or from, a long, across, a National Forest
system road, or body of water. When you're out looking for an appropriate
place to shoot on the National Forest probably the most, if not, the most
important thing you can do is find a spot with an appropriate backstop.
An appropriate back stop being something that's gonna stop all of your rounds
and there's no doubt in your mind that arrant bullets are
not gonna be going beyond that backstop.
For target placement you want you want your target to be below that
backstop to were when you start putting rounds down range you know 100% for sure
that all of those rounds are gonna go right into that backstop and not further
down range where they might compromise the safety of another Forest visitor.
[shots fired]
One of the keys to staying safe out here is to have a well-established firing line.
That means you want to have everybody in a clear row across the firing range because you'll probably
be out here with friends, family. or other users of the Forest.
So make sure you all have that line and then you want to really work together to establish hot and cold ranges.
When it's time to set up your targets talk to everybody else on
the line and call the range cold. When the range is cold everybody should have
the gun set down, actions should be open, magazines removed.
So the guns are cold and nobody should handle firearms when you have a cold range.
At that point it is safe to go down range and set up targets,
change targets, pick up trash, whatever you like to do down there. When everybody is back
behind your established firing line then you can call hot range and people can begin shooting again.
[shots fired]
Another thing I' d like to talk about his trash. This is a constant challenge on
the National Forest. Please make sure that any targets that
you bring can be completely cleaned up after you shoot them. Please don't bring
your old TVs or other trash that is going to shatter when you shoot it. It's also a
great idea to bring an extra trash bag and if everyone can go home with one
extra bag of trash in addition to your targets we can help keep the Forest clean.
The Forest Service requires that everything you bring in with you - you
take out with you when you when you're done recreating.
When you're thinking about what to use as a target you want to consider things that are
easily cleaned up and packed out along with you.
Recently exploding targets have become popular amongst recreational target shooters.
Exploding targets are illegal on the National Forest due to their
potential to start wildland fires. In addition to target shooting in a manner
that provides for the safety of not only yourself but other forest visitors, it's
also important to you target shooting a manner that is respectful to the resource.
On the National Forest it is illegal to damage any timber, any tree, or any other natural resource.
The Forest Service wants your National Forests to be here
for future generations to enjoy. When you come out to the National Forest to
engage in recreational target shooting just remember to pick a safe spot,
double check your backstop, police up all your garbage and just be respectful of other forest visitors
and as always we want you to come out here and enjoy your National Forests.
The National Forests are here for everyone.
[up beat guitar]