The Van Zandt Dike area and the Middle Fork System will close to target shooting on May 1 after reports of public safety concerns and vandalism in the area, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources announced Friday, April 19.
Neighbors and law enforcement reported unsafe shooting practices within Van Zandt Dike, such as using targets without backstops, leading to bullets ending up near the residential area in Acme Valley, according to a DNR news release. Reports of trash dumping, timber theft and illegal camping have also been made.
Officials hope to reopen the gates before the start of the 2024 hunting season in the fall.
“The few that have acted irresponsibly and are requiring this closure to happen due to safety concerns and resource abuse unfortunately impact the many recreators who are respectful while on our state lands,” said Jay Guthrie, region manager for DNR’s Northwest Region.
Walk-in, non-target shooting activities will still be allowed in Van Zandt Dike.
“While I am disappointed to hear about this closure, DNR’s decision prioritizes keeping people safe and the environment healthy while balancing the need to maintain access to recreation opportunities on state public lands,” Whatcom County Council member Kaylee Galloway said in the release. “I hope people will see this as a call to action to better appreciate and steward our shared public lands and to avoid these issues in the future.”
Violators of the shooting closure may be subject to fines, DNR stated.
Target shooting is allowed on a majority of DNR land and requires biodegradable targets and an earthen backstop. Exploding targets, sky lanterns, tracer ammunition and other incendiary devices are illegal on all DNR-protected land.
Annie Todd is CDN’s criminal justice/enterprise reporter; reach her at annietodd@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 130.
