Temporary Ban on Unlawful Shooting on DNR-managed Lands Statewide Begins Saturday at 12 a.m.
To help prevent wildfires, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is temporarily banning the discharge of firearms for target-shooting or other purposes by anyone not engaged in lawful hunting. This ban will apply to 3 million acres of DNR-managed lands. This includes state forests, community forests, and forested state lands. The temporary ban goes into effect at 12 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 15, 2020.
“We are entering a period of hot, dry weather across our state, including the highest temperatures we’ve seen all year,” said Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz. “As conditions get hotter and drier, wildfire risk increases significantly, and we must take reasonable steps to prevent human-caused fires. I know this is an inconvenience for recreational target shooters, but we must do all that we can to ensure that our firefighters do not have to put their lives on the line to fight a preventable fire. When conditions improve, it will be lifted. But for now, we must put the safety of our communities and firefighters first.”
Discharging firearms poses a greater risk in dry conditions as bullets pass through decayed wood, cause sparks off rocks, or break into fragments in dry grass. This year, DNR has already responded to a greater number of fires than the ten-year annual average.
This temporary rule does not restrict hunting.
A burn ban is currently in effect on DNR lands statewide, and fire danger on most of the east side is rated as “high” or “extremely high.” Residents should check burn bans in their areas.
Commissioner Franz is encouraging private landowners to consider target shooting restrictions on their own lands.
The ban on discharging firearms for target-shooting, or other non-lawful hunting with firearms, is in effect until further notice.
Anyone who spots a wildfire should call 911 as soon as possible to report it.
DNR Recreation and Leadership
Led by the Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz, DNR manages nearly 1,300 miles of trails and 160-plus recreation sites in 3 million acres of working forest state trust lands and 92 natural areas. DNR trust lands keep forests development-free, provide clean water, and generate revenue for public services and school construction. To learn more about recreation on DNR-managed lands, visit dnr.wa.gov/go.
Commissioner Franz and DNR staff are also responsible for preventing and fighting wildfires on 13 million acres of private, state and tribal-owned land. DNR is the state’s largest wildfire fighting force.
