Volunteers Help Clean Up Cherry Creek
For years, Cherry Creek Canyon in the Ventura County backcountry has been littered with shotgun shells, bullet casings, shot-up televisions, furniture, and other trash. It’s the result of unmanaged, unauthorized target shooting that has turned the area into one of the most trashed sites in Los Padres National Forest.
On Oct. 29, 80 volunteers removed over 2.5 tons of trash — the area’s largest cleanup effort to date. Los Padres ForestWatch — in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service and local sponsors Patagonia, Matilija Pure Water, Ace Hardware of Meiners Oaks, and Lowe’s — led the cleanup effort, which took place on a fall morning 30 minutes outside of Ojai.
The entire Cherry Creek watershed has been closed to target shooting since July, when a federal judge ordered the Forest Service to close the area. The closure is the result of a lawsuit brought by ForestWatch and other conservation organizations concerned about the trash and toxic heavy metals finding their way into the nearby creek, poisoning fish and other wildlife. Unlike the three other national forests in Southern California, the Los Padres National Forest is generally open to target shooting. Specific isolated areas of the forest have been closed over the years for public safety or environmental reasons, but across the vast majority of Los Padres, uncontrolled target shooting occurs. The problem arises when shooters leave these areas littered with targets and trash.
With the Cherry Creek area now closed, volunteers had the opportunity to clean up the area before winter rains washed it all downstream into Sespe Creek — habitat for the federally endangered steelhead trout. The Forest Service also installed new signage along Cherry Creek Road to ensure that visitors to the area know that target shooting is no longer permitted, and has increased law enforcement efforts in the area. “The Forest Service did the right thing by closing this dumping ground,” said Suzanne Feldman, conservation coordinator for ForestWatch. “Now we can start to bring the Cherry Creek watershed back to its natural splendor. It really is such a beautiful area; it’s a shame that irresponsible use trashed it so badly.”
Ultimately, any long-term solution to the shooting problem at Cherry Creek will require that the gate at the mouth of the canyon be closed year-round, preventing vehicles from hauling large amounts of trash into the area.
ForestWatch urges the Forest Service to institute a forest-wide ban on target shooting, similar to what the other three national forests in Southern California have implemented. Forest officials should implement such a closure immediately so that the problem doesn’t move to some other area of the forest. Target shooters are reminded to pack out what you pack in — including all bullet casings, shotgun shells, and targets. Do not shoot at trees or wildlife. And consider shooting at the well-managed formal shooting range down the road — the Ojai Valley Gun Club in Rose Valley.
It’s the self centered people that leave the trash! Most shooters are concerned about the environment and packing out what they bring in and also will take trash from other shooters out.
Also they shoot only at permited targets, not TV’s, radios, and such.
Kevin Schmidt, what the heck does war mongering have to do with a civilians shooting their firearms on public land and leaving a mess?
$1.2 trillion dollars is a lot of money. That’s per year, right? Now include the financial support which is paid to the tens of thousands of immigrants who are collecting SSI. At appx. $850 per month or more, well if we knew how many lived here, we could add that up. The war (as usual) has resolved Nothing – just created another issue which taxpayers must pay for.
This is what happens when we spend $1.2 trillion dollars on war mongering. In Econ 101 we were taught that a country can either produce guns or butter, but not both.
I love to shoot and hate to see any “anti-gun” measure actually become law, however, this is one I could live with. Its impossible to argue isn’t it? Guess its time to join the gun club……….
This is the single most important issue facing our backcountry today.
I am a hunter, hiker and backpacker and grew up camping in our backcountry and the mess shooters have caused totally disgusts me. I am totally in favor of these shutdowns. I have even talked to target shooters about cleaning up after themselves given they are in violation of littering laws and Fish and Game laws (disposing of trash within 150 feet of a waterway as at Cherry Creek–besides the steelhead issues which are also pertinent).
Now here’s the problem with shutting down Cherry Creek at this time: the Forest-wide shutdown on target shooting has not yet been invoked, so the shooter boneheads are going up other canyons and drainages and shooting and making messes elsewhere including and particularly in the Hwy 33/Sespe corridor. I say, get that prohibition in place so USFS law enforcement really has something to work with. I predict that many more cleanups shall follow until this happens–though not at Cherry Creek.
Forest Watch, the USFS, nor anyone else caused the problems which resulted in the shutdown–the responsibility rests squarely on the shoulders of the target shooters themselves.
Seems that the ‘trashy’ shooters are up a ‘creek’ without a paddle. This is what happens when way too many people compete with less and less recreational areas. Shooting (aka target practice) in undesignated areas causes serious problems. Same issues with off-road motorcycles and ATV’s. What happened to the peaceful camper/hiker/backpacker of long ago? Now it’s about ‘getting away’ from the city and bringing the noise and destruction with them, thus ruining the outdoor experience for everyone. But hey! ‘They’re having a ‘good time’, right?(deleted)
Chrystal, I was there. I used to shoot every week in Angelus before going on duty. When the forest was closed down and people forced to go to the two designated areas that’s when accidents started to skyrocket. I tried shooting in those areas and was scared many times by what I had seen. Those statistics were then used in an attempt to close those areas. I agree that shooters have left terrible messes that should happen. By the way one shooting area was closed for a long time as no insurance was obtainable because of cost.
MiddleMan, please check your facts – the Angeles National Forest has two designated shooting areas that are managed by concessionaires. They are well-managed, clean, and a safe place for shooting responsibly. This isn’t an anti-gun issue, it’s an anti-trash issue. Shooters need to take responsibility and clean up after themselves – if they don’t, then they will find their favorite shooting areas closed down. It’s that simple.
Bravo to all of the volunteers who helped clean up Cherry Creek! The forest is a better place because of all of your efforts. Nice work ForestWatch, nice work Forest Service, nice work volunteers, and nice work sponsors – including E.J. Harrison, who donated a free dumpster to the effort!
Many years ago Angeles Crest Forrest was wide open to shooting and things were fine. Persons with great knowledge decided this was not good and restricted shooting to a couple shooting areas. SURPRISE, people started getting hurt, trash accumulated and those with great knowledge said we must shut this down, look what they have done. Now there is no where to shoot and that makes the great knowledge people ( aka anti gunners) happy.