BLM will not close public shooting opportunities out

[high country]

Exactly. I guess we will have to start hunting grasshoppers out there since we can't target shoot.

[bobcat]

I know of no state funded pistol or rifle range. Does anyone know of any?

Well, there is the "triangle gravel pit" in Capitol Forest. I did a Google search and found that it even has its own Facebook page:

http://en-gb.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.191444170218.165068.130158330218&type=1

[ICEMAN]

What improvements have been made there which benefit target shooters at taxpayer expense?

[bobcat]

What improvements have been made there which benefit target shooters at taxpayer expense?

Nothing I know of. But just the fact that they are leaving it open is something. There's got to be some sort of cost associated with allowing all the shooting to go on there, although a lot of the clean up is done by volunteers.

[bigtex]

My big problem is this.. If you are going to ban/lock up most of the land available for shooting then you need to open some areas to it.
 I always hate it when they close down some old gravel pit to shooting because generally they are a much safer place to shoot and or site in a rifle than just out in the woods.
 Would it be so hard to set up a self serve shooting range? I used one in AR that was an old gravel pit. It had markers for yardage out to 200 yrds, shooting benches and back
 stops. The place was not filled with garbage was on NFS land (I think) and it was a pleasure to re-sight in my Muzzle loader in for deer there. If they confine the shoot-able
 area then isn't it easier to police and keep up? All the bunny huggers make it so difficult to put in new gun ranges, and always bitch about the existing ones... 

Totally agree with you here.

The state continues to spend and spend and spend on trail maintenance, parking lot and restrooms for motorcycle and horse enthusiasts yet will not spend a dime on anything for a different sport; Target shooting.

I know of no state funded pistol or rifle range. Does anyone know of any?

The state does provide about 500K every biennium to improve firearm and archery ranges. http://www.rco.wa.gov/grants/farr.shtml Ranges must apply for this grant.

Assuming when you say "state" for things like trail maintenance, lots, restrooms you are saying DNR. Once again, there are two state grants which agencies (such as DNR and USFS) apply for to use for the projects you listed. http://www.rco.wa.gov/grants/nova.shtml
http://www.rco.wa.gov/grants/rtp.shtml

Much of DNR's recreation program (trails, ATV, etc) is actually grant funded and not general fund based. The reason why DNR "suffered" so much loss in the past couple years is they lost general fund $, but also those grants did not give out any money. The 2011 fiscal year is the first year the grants have been back for a couple years.

[bigtex]

My question, maybe you can help here Bigtex .... so .... there isn't enough manpower to go around.  I  get that.  That is why there are these dumping issues in the first place.  So, when they say "no more shooting", do these agencies suddenly start focusing on these "closed" areas NOW instead of when they should have BEFORE?  Seems anyone and everyone has free reign to go do whatever they want in unpatrolled areas ... but once the area becomes "closed", do they then become patrolled?

Agencies can start focusing on those areas that have some type of closure in place. Unfortunately like many of us know, the number of people to patrol is still low. So what these "new" regs do is actually toughen the penalties. For example lets say you go out to DNR/WDFW lands, shoot some targets and leave your brass. On DNR and WDFW lands the fine for that violation is a $87 infraction. Now lets say there was some type of "No Dumping" rule/sign in place there, typically these "closures" carry tougher penalties. For example, areas that has "No Dumping" signs put up by the county carry a tougher penalty then if somebody just want to some dead end road and dumped some garbage.

[bigtex]

I have serious issue with the way our public land is managed. The issue of not having enough manpower to police the ground is ludicrous. If you use that logic Nevada, Wyoming, Montana....etc. should shut down many of its highways because they can't police them. If the blm would increase the fine to include possible seizure of vehicle and weapons....I bet you would see a huge decrease in litter.

People in those states know that if they are in certain rural areas then response time can be limited. I am friends with a former Montana State Trooper; it would take him three hours at times to respond to calls because of the distance.

BLM and other agencies do NOT determine penalties. Penalties/fines are made by the courts. At the federal level each federal court district makes their penalties, this is why the penalties for federal violations are different in western and eastern WA (two different courts). At the state level the Supreme Court sets the fines.

[high country]

If people started dumping in the highway of rural Montana would they shut the road down?......of course not. I feel if you are going to shut it off to us who have a type of activity that is disproved of, shut it off to everyone. Perhaps that is what is needed to raise awareness. It pisses me off to no end to spend my tax dollars on agencies who would rather close an area than police it. There are tons of us who would volunteer to police the area. The blm kicked me square in the nuts on that closure.

[Special T]

My big problem is this.. If you are going to ban/lock up most of the land available for shooting then you need to open some areas to it.
 I always hate it when they close down some old gravel pit to shooting because generally they are a much safer place to shoot and or site in a rifle than just out in the woods.
 Would it be so hard to set up a self serve shooting range? I used one in AR that was an old gravel pit. It had markers for yardage out to 200 yrds, shooting benches and back
 stops. The place was not filled with garbage was on NFS land (I think) and it was a pleasure to re-sight in my Muzzle loader in for deer there. If they confine the shoot-able
 area then isn't it easier to police and keep up? All the bunny huggers make it so difficult to put in new gun ranges, and always bitch about the existing ones... 

Totally agree with you here.

The state continues to spend and spend and spend on trail maintenance, parking lot and restrooms for motorcycle and horse enthusiasts yet will not spend a dime on anything for a different sport; Target shooting.

I know of no state funded pistol or rifle range. Does anyone know of any?

There actually is a fund... When you get you Concealed carry permit $5 goes into a fund for shooting ranges. ANY non profit can apply for the grant $$$ I know this because our Archery club
Silver Arrow Bowmen got our grant approved. ANY non profit organization can get funds for various projects.  THERE IS TONS OF $$$!!! part of the reason there is is because the $
goes mostly for saftly improvements, but other things can be paid for as well. Grants require lots of work learning the process and doing the paperwork. I think the real problem is the NIMBY
issues. Skagit County has been trying to put in a gun range on Lake Cavanaugh RD for like 10 years! All the Freaking Seattleites put up a fight. old gun clubs and ranges have to keep vigilant
against the constant complaints, and the ability to make new ranges is NIL! It sucks but that is the way it is.