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Hgunner

CAVman did it..................................


Shooters Heard: Interior Will Not Ban Target Practice

Under fire from gun owners concerned about draft guidelines that could limit areas for target practice on western public lands, the Interior Department today said it would make sure shooters still have access to lands long available for firearms recreation.

"Our goal is to leave lands open to shooting," said an Interior official for the Bureau of Land Management, which is drafting guidelines to deal with the growing clash between skittish urbanites moving to western wilderness areas and America's tradition of letting gun owners shoot targets on public lands. [Read: Obama Pushing Shooters Off Public Lands.]

"We don't want to have to close any areas," said an official as BLM provided Washington Whispers with a statement clarifying the developing guidelines.

"We are in no way interested in banning recreational target shooting, hunting, or fishing—on the contrary, our goal is to develop guidance that will help land managers maximize and preserve opportunities for recreational shooting," said the BLM statement.[Read about the subpoena issued as a result of Operation Fast and Furious.]

However, the official said it is possible that areas previously used for target practice that are too close to houses or areas of urban growth could be put off limits. The new plan would be to provide shooters with a map or guide on where they can go for target practice nearby, said the official.

"It's the difference of driving two minutes [to shoot] or 15 minutes," said the official.

Whispers reported on the controversy yesterday. A committee of conservationists and outdoors groups advising BLM has expressed outrage over the developing guidelines, charging that BLM is making it hard for shooters to practice on public lands, which has a long tradition in the West. The Interior official said that the committee's concerns will be addressed in a "redraft" of the guidelines.

[Check out new Debate Club about whether Congress needs to overhaul gun trafficking laws.]

The story, promoted on the Drudge Report and Fox Nation, had gun owners up in arms.

Below is the full BLM statement to Whispers:

The Department of the Interior fully supports and encourages hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting on America's public lands. Nearly 400,000 hunters visit Bureau of Land Management lands every year, generating an estimated $785 million in economic output. The vast majority of BLM's 245 million acres is open to recreational shooting, and we want to keep it that way.

The BLM wants to protect opportunities for recreational shooting on public lands and reduce the possibility for conflicts that in the past have resulted in some recreational shooting closures. That is why we are currently working with the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council (WHHCC)—which includes representatives from sportsmen's organizations, the outdoor recreation industry, state resource agencies and others—to develop guidance to protect long-term access to recreational target shooting.

We are at the early stages of our work with the WHHCC and will be guided by their input and recommendations. We are in no way interested in banning recreational target shooting, hunting, or fishing—on the contrary, our goal is to develop guidance that will help land managers maximize and preserve opportunities for recreational shooting. It is important to note that hunting and fishing on public lands is managed by state fish and game agencies—and is not the subject of these discussions.

http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/was...arget-practice

54321

Good News!

CAVman

Thank God! I Can Get Off The Phone Now !!!



Seriously...I Would Have To Say My Point(s)Were Validated By This....


SHOOTERS WERE HEARD !!!


CAVman in WYoming

RAMMAC

I don't see where we "won" anything.

In other words, they are saying that while they don't WANT to close any areas they will, based on the proximity to populated areas. But to help shooters they are going to print a map that shows them where they can shoot legally. Nowhere do they say that they will not close areas to shooters, in fact they flat out say that the closing of the areas will cause shooters to drive 15 minutes instead of 2 minutes.

This is just very good propaganda that seems to have worked very well; the audience thinks that it's getting what it wanted when, in fact, nothing has changed.

philip26p

I have to agree with RAMACC it sounds like double speak political crap to me, and if these new people moving out west want to assimilate into the culture of the area maybe it should be them that get used to hearing gun shots on BML land, and god forbid they educate themselves and maybe even learn how to shoot a gun. To me it just sounds like they still plane to close off the land but are putting it in political terms finding out they plane language doesn’t sound too good.

CAVman

The Glass Is Half-Full...

The Glass Is Half-Empty...

So It Has Always Been...

It's All In Your Perspective.

I Say---THEY KNOW WE'RE OUT HERE!

You Say---They STILL Don't Like Us!

We're Both Right!

I Wish It Was Beer:30 Already!



CAVman in WYoming

RAMMAC

Bingo, on the money.

I've seen these urbanites move to the "country" to get back to nature and invariably they screw everything up and then go back to the city because they didn't like the hicks they had to be around. Well it's time that the hicks got things their way for once.

adrbe

Under current laws, discharging a firearm in the National Forest is illegal under these circumstances:

1. Within 150 yards of a residence, building, campsite, developed recreation site, or occupied area; or

2. Across or on a Forest Development road or an adjacent body of water, or in any manner or place whereby any person or property is exposed to injury or damage as a result of such discharge; or

3. Into or within any cave.

I would be interested to see if these laws are changed, or simply enforced better. Considering that shooting is illegal, "in any manner or place whereby any person or property is exposed to injury or damage," it doesn't seem any changes are necessary. I, for one, support better enforcement of these laws and see no need to modify them in any way.

20mmsixshooter

I just had to patch a hole in my house and one zipped by my son and I out side my house this summer because new ass's move in and were shooting at rocks. found out they worked for a local sporting goods place and they were in a fed reserve wetland. I'm all for shooting, when they move to the country most are ass's another walks down the middle of the winding road with three dogs take your choice her or the dog last is off the road?
they grow up not being able to think for them self's
so what are we to do ??????

washington

20mmsixshooter,
We can start by getting rid of the unconstitutional (and one of the planks of the Communist Manifesto) department of education. Return schools to their local communities so teachers can teach local values and real American history, etc...
Please consider joining Oath Keepers. An organization of active duty military and police ( as well as veterans!) that promises to uphold their oath to defend the constitution against all enemies foreign and DOMESTIC. Please check out their website.

barrym

That was quick.

Palladin

They know we have guns.

mgraffam

No doubt. I'm from rural NY, and used to work in Manhattan. I was astounded to find that in talking about our hobbies, most of my coworkers were visibly shaken to even learn that I have shot firearms, much less own the milspec type guns that I have.

With no disrespect to our LEOs, I just don't get how these city folks could think pinning a tin badge on my chest somehow makes it all good.

Let 'em stay in the concrete jungle. I sure don't need these idiots messing up my good time.

Whatsinaname181

YAY! them city folks can stay in the city if they dont like the sound of gunfire. let em go visit the local park if they wanna be outdoors!

Eagle15

Cool!