County May Restrict Shooting at Snake River Canyon Park

magicvalley.com ^ | 22 March 2012 | Steve Kadel

[smokingfrog]

JEROME • Dave Guymon and his son, Nate, like to ride their ATVs at the Snake River Canyon Park at least once a week.

They were there Tuesday afternoon, spinning circles in the mud and roaring over rises as Jet, their black Lab, occasionally sprinted in pursuit. Even with the roar of engines, nearby gunshots were audible.

The popular park just east of U.S. Highway 93, on the north rim of the Snake River Canyon, is a prime spot for shooters to practice. But their continued use of the area is jeopardized by litter they leave and safety concerns for other park users. Officials are weighing options including banning shooting.

“They shoot wherever they want and they don’t pack out their garbage,” Jerome County Commission Chairman Charlie Howell said Wednesday as he toured the site.

One popular diversion is to bring broken televisions to the park and use them for target practice, leaving the debris there, he said. He sometimes rides a horse through the maze of trails and knows firsthand about the potential danger.

“It’s always nerve-wracking when you hear those bullets whistle over your head,” he said.

As if to illustrate the point, rounds from an unseen shooter whizzed through the air as Howell spoke.

Seemingly, there’s enough room for everyone to recreate safely. The park includes 6,500 acres owned by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and 700 acres under Idaho Department of Lands control.

Howell said the county has a management agreement with the BLM, but not with the Department of Lands. Talks between the county and state aimed at establishing enforcement policies for the problems haven’t been successful.

Jerome County commissioners hope to hold public hearings during the next two months to see what kind of crackdown, if any, citizens favor.

[smokingfrog]

This would be a good opportunity for a gun club or other pro-gun group to organize a clean-up effort.

[DesertRhino]

Gosh,,, everyone knows that ATVs are more legitimate than shooters.And have no effect whatsoever on the land.

[riverrunner]

They were there Tuesday afternoon, spinning circles in the mud and roaring over rises as Jet, their black Lab, occasionally sprinted in pursuit. Even with the roar of engines, nearby gunshots were audible.

The popular park just east of U.S. Highway 93, on the north rim of the Snake River Canyon, is a prime spot for shooters to practice. But their continued use of the area is jeopardized by litter they leave and safety concerns for other park users. Officials are weighing options including banning shooting.

“They shoot wherever they want and they don’t pack out their garbage,” Jerome County Commission Chairman Charlie Howell said Wednesday as he toured the site

We all know that ATV riders are some of the most land respecting people in the world. Spinning around in mud holes tearing over ridges. Kind of like the pot calling the kettle black.

[DaveyB]

I was told in the government school that litter is bad. Here we have some good folks who are shooting and killing the litter, so the litter can't do any more damage. The only problem is that instead of leaving the dead litter as a message of intimidation to all the other litter that they are not welcome there, a civilized shooter should give the litter a decent burial.

Oh and I think the ATVers in the story want the area all to themselves. They will be upset when the mountain bikers get the ATVs banned, and the mountain bikers will be perturbed when the equestrians get the bikers banned and the equestrians will be ticked when the tree-huggers make it so that only hikers with Birkenstocks can use the land. Then pray-tell who will be left to shoot the tree-huggers?

[Domandred]

somehow I think there will be trash there long after they ban shooting. Just an easy target they can get libs and enviros to go after. We know from protest experience that it is probably liberal and envirowackos that are not cleaning up their trash.

[Sudetenland]

Anybody who whitewashes this story is not doing shooters any favors. There are a lot of jerks out there and plenty of them own firearms and behave in an irresponsible manner.

The best response to this type of story is what you suggest. It is a perfect opportunity for the many responsible gun owners to move to correct this problem. Instead of trying to excuse it by attacking the ATV drivers, how about a little condemnation for those of us who own guns and refuse to use them responsibly.

I know plenty of gun owners who would be appalled at the reported behavior, but I also know a fair number who would behave as this report states . . . you don't have to drive very far out into the country to see road signs with bullet holes in them.

Jerks are jerks where ever you find them.

[Old Forester]

“Anybody who whitewashes this story is not doing shooters any favors.”

I have to agree with you. There is a gravel pit near here that shooters like to go to and every time I go there there’s at least another sack of garbage to haul off. Lots of broken bottles, shot up paint cans and even car batteries. It makes me wish I could find out where the guilty parties live and dump the junk in their yard...