Stafford Forge Target Range Clean-up

[GermanG]

On Sunday, March 15, from 9:00am-Noon, there will be a volunteer clean-up of the public target range within Stafford Forge Wildlife Management Area, on Route 539. While many users of this range clean up their targets, empty shell cases, and ammo boxes when done, many obviously do not. This is an opportunity for hunters and shooters who utilize this range to help insure that it remains open and presentable. Continued littering and vandalism could endanger its future operation. Any and all help will be appreciated.

Plastic garbage bags and a dumpster will be provided. Participants are encouraged to bring work gloves. A few participants with leaf rakes will be appreciated as well. The clean-up is being sponsored by the NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife and the Ocean County Department of Parks & Recreation. The rain date will be March 22. For more information, call 609-971-3085 on weekdays.

 

[PancoastDrifter]

I will be there.

 

[PancoastDrifter]

Some pics from last spring...

 

[NJBill]

Wow, that place was trashed. I'm sure the trash portion was not all from those shooting there but the empty shells left behind are inexcusable. A logical approach might be to only allow those who show up to clean up to use it for shooting.

Along the same thought it would be great if the State had a program where there was some sort of incentive for Sportsmen to get out and clean up these areas. Say maybe a break on license fees or stamps that have become quite expensive. It would also certainly educate younger Sportsmen that would tag along with their parents.

 

[46er]

That is pathetic. I use the shotgun range at Assumpink, its never looked like that in all the years I gone there. Some real slobs down Stafford way it would seem. F&W should close it down for a year.

FWIW, a lawn vacuum works really well on the that stuff.

 

[MarkBNJ]

My God that's terrible. German, if "many" people clean up after themselves, there must be a hell of a lot of people using that range. Doesn't look to me like they deserve it. Ought to post some signs saying essentially "You all have thirty days to clean this shit up or we put a gate across the road and that's it."

 

[bobpbx]

"You all have thirty days to clean this shit up or we put a gate across the road and that's it."

I agree with that. I might add...."that's it until 10 of you come to the office begging to be allowed in to clean it".

 

[GermanG]

My God that's terrible. German, if "many" people clean up after themselves, there must be a hell of a lot of people using that range. Doesn't look to me like they deserve it. Ought to post some signs saying essentially "You all have thirty days to clean this shit up or we put a gate across the road and that's it."

In most cases, I’d be the first one to agree with you. But I’m one of the people who use this range. Most recently, I took my 12 year old daughter there, where she had a ball shooting a .22 rifle for the first time. I’d hate to see it close. This is a call for shooters to clean up after their own. There was a time when you could go out into the woods most anywhere and do some informal target shooting. Now your options are few. You can go to a commercial range or join a club with its own range. Both can be expensive propositions. This range is open, free of charge, to anyone with a current NJ hunting license.

I’m not even so sure that the percentage of users of this range litter any more than any other segment of our population. We pick up truckloads of bottles and cans from the same areas of the Forked River Mountains every year during our annual clean-up. And the only reason the roadsides of the Garden State Parkway don’t look just as bad is that they pay people to drive up and down it several times a week just to pick up litter. The Division of Fish & Wildlife does not have that kind of manpower or budget to do so.

 

[46er]

In case anyone is interested, the regs for use of the ranges.


http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/ranges.htm

 

[freerider]

The unofficial range off of Bombing Range road is being cleaned and I hope to replant the pines once the entry is barricaded.

Seems to me the state has plenty of money from fishing and hunting license fees to clean the official and unofficial range without volunteers !

 

[MarkBNJ]

In most cases, I’d be the first one to agree with you. But I’m one of the people who use this range. Most recently, I took my 12 year old daughter there, where she had a ball shooting a .22 rifle for the first time. I’d hate to see it close. This is a call for shooters to clean up after their own. There was a time when you could go out into the woods most anywhere and do some informal target shooting. Now your options are few. You can go to a commercial range or join a club with its own range. Both can be expensive propositions. This range is open, free of charge, to anyone with a current NJ hunting license.

I’m not even so sure that the percentage of users of this range litter any more than any other segment of our population. We pick up truckloads of bottles and cans from the same areas of the Forked River Mountains every year during our annual clean-up. And the only reason the roadsides of the Garden State Parkway don’t look just as bad is that they pay people to drive up and down it several times a week just to pick up litter. The Division of Fish & Wildlife does not have that kind of manpower or budget to do so.

If the side of the Parkway looked like some of those pictures, there would be a hell of an outcry. Perhaps those are really worst case pictures, but in any event, it's a damn shame. I doubt very many agencies have the manpower to police something that bad, and the sad thing is that if they do, then it drags resources away from other needed work basically so a few idiots can toss crap on the ground. Guess that's not a different situation from the rest of the state lands, but this sure seems like an extreme example of human misuse. It ought to prompt some sort of serious policy review.

 

[46er]

....so a few idiots can toss crap on the ground. Guess that's not a different situation from the rest of the state lands, but this sure seems like an extreme example of human misuse. It ought to prompt some sort of serious policy review.

After a closer look and in all fairness, the vast majority of that material on the range is the plastic wadding that holds the shot and is expelled when the shell is fired, along with some broken birds. These parts wind up downrange of the shooters area and realistically cannot be picked up by the shooter while folks are practicing. Well, they can, but the person might just wind up doing it once.
If they state is going to provide these areas, they need to take responsibility for cleaning them as well and fund it thru yet another license stamp. And then enforce it.

 

[MarkBNJ]

Maybe treat it like a driving range, and run some sort of vac over it once a month or whatever. I do see a lot of shell casings too. Must be 100 pounds of brass out there.

 

[PancoastDrifter]

I have been there when guys are out there farming brass. I also made a formal complaint about the garbage to the DEP last year. They could not do anything. No one wants to put a dumpster there as it would be a spot for dead pets and other more malicious drop offs. All of the garbage there is shooting related. Either large boxes for clay targets or ammo boxes and real estate/political signs used for targets.

 

[imkms]

What a mess!!

Amazing how people can trash a place that they apparently re-visit regularly. I guess this place is not under any scrutiny during usage, but may need to be if conditions like this continue.

 

[mudboy dave]

wow, happy the monsater truck guys, jeepers and atv'ers don't leave their places like that. their spots would be taken away from them. I'm gonna post this up on all the local 4x4 sites.

 

[PancoastDrifter]

Honestly there is one can there that gets filled up. Then people just put there boxes against the can and expect it to get picked up like any other "park" garbage can. Then on a windy day it spreads all over. If they had the can picked up once a week it might be better there but that is miles out of the way for one can.

 

[freerider]

From the response I have received due to my complaints to the state about trash and illegal shooting is the answer would be to keep ALL people out of the pines. They have no money for staff or signs or barricades for certain areas, or patrols.

I as many of you have bagged tons of trash.

I leave the bags on the side of 539 and they are picked up by the county.

I have also seen the county workers one or two, picking up trash prior to mowing the area. I am amazed that the bottles thrown from vehicles on any roadway.

If we kept our property in the condition the state does. We would be fined and our property eventually seized since we could not afford the fines

So let's set a fee for our time in cleaning the pines and send the bill to the state !

The pines are not taken care of. We should appoint ourselves voluntary caretakers of an area and keep it clean and available for others.

I have taken on the East Plains area. However I do clean many other places in my travels. As well i have heard many of you have taken on your favorite areas and others too.

I suggest a unified front of "Pine Barrens Caretakers". Like camp site hosts deputized by the agency that runs the place. We could contact the US Park Service - Pinelands National Preserve and the UN- Biosphere project for reconigniton of our unified efforts. Sure there are groups set up already.

We would set an area we can have a camper or such at and keep it safe and clean.

We must show the state we mean business in protecting the area and that we will do what they cannot.

This will include keeping watch on those who would dump in the area and holding the state and feds responsible for their share.

I also think the warren grove range itself should be responsible to carry some of the trash i collect away. They regularly grade range road !

The state training shotgun and bow range should be handled by the state and those that shoot there. When I go shooting I clean up and take my junk with me. Just like many of you do I am sure.

Hey we all use the pines all year and take drinks and food with us. No doubt we have also ran after a wrapper or such that we drop and blows away in the wind.

Why cant the shooters clean up after themselves? I think it is because the majority DO NOT respect the pines nor does the state give them reason too.

I have gone to others states natural areas and it is clean and respected and there are dumpsters and numerous trash and recycling cans available, including working rest rooms, clean showers and happy staff.

 

[mudboy dave]

i AGREE ALL THE WAY I hate trash. in the woods on the side of the road all together i hate trash(other than in Camden, it sort of goes with the flow there:rofl HOWEVER!!!!!! people do have to be careful on reporting this and reporting that. stop being a damn pansy and take matters in your own hands. Keep going to this state for help,(not joking even though it may appear that way) all access will be shut down like mentioned above, how would everyone like that??????? I have organized a clean up in Bass River State Forest 3 years ago, I have helped with the Jeepers cleanup at Atsion for a longtime. Its the only way things get done is to take care of it yourself. If you expect your hand to be held and guidance given at all times, move to another state. Welcome to the dump of Jersey.

See yall at the cleanup

 

[freerider]

We all have volunteered somewhere thats great.


The state, county and local officials and those that dump must be held accountable !

There is a limit to not holding those responsible and I have reached mine a long time ago.

I have made it clear to those I see in the East Plains about dumping and handed some a bag to collect what they see and no ATV's. They have been positively responsive to my approaching them. (Well one ATV'er did tried to run me over and someone retuend to steal my trailer)

Those who are illegal shooters....some responded positively to my asking them to not shoot there any more and some have not.

LEH twnshp police have been helpful.