Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Sen. Tim Shelton, D-Potlatch, has proposed a bill that would allow target shooting on state Department of Natural Resources land.
According to a news release, Senate Bill 5865 bill would clear up liability issues for recreational target shooting on public land. The hearing for the bill was Jan. 27 and the bill would establish that the state would not be held liable for unintentional injuries.
“The liability issue has been the major obstacle in designating areas for target shooting,” Sheldon said in a news release. “We have many organized groups interested in leasing public lands for this purpose, and the Department of Natural Resources has developed rules to regulate designated target-shooting areas. This bill simply establishes that target shooters assume all risk themselves.”
The bill adds recreational target shooting in designated areas to the list of activities landowners are protected from liability.
Sheldon proposed a similar bill in 2019. Shelton said if the bill passes, he hopes DNR will move quickly to establish a range in the Tahuya Forest area. DNR manages nearly 3 million acres of public land in the state.
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