The Tonto National Forest has mobilized a National Fire Prevention Education Team to inform forest visitors about target shooting-caused wildfires and the forest’s Stage 1 fire restrictions.

Target shooting is a recognized cause of wildfires when high fire danger conditions are present on the Tonto National Forest. Fire danger conditions are monitored closely from spring through summer, or through the end of fire season, to determine when fire restriction orders are appropriate.

Tonto Forest’s Stage 1 fire restriction order includes a prohibition on “discharging a firearm” (with an exception for legal hunting activity) pursuant to 36 C.F.R. 261.58(m). The purpose of this prohibition is to protect the public and natural resources from the risk of a recreational shooting-caused ignition during the extreme environmental conditions associated with Arizona summers. There is a need to restrict recreational shooting for public safety and resource protection across the forest when these conditions are present due to the Tonto’s exceptionally high recreational use.

Responsible recreation requires forest visitors to be extra cautious. The Tonto National Forest has seen an increase in the number of human-caused ignitions and a National Fire Prevention Education Team has been ordered to help reduce unwanted wildfires. The team will be developing and distributing information in the Phoenix Metro area to help increase forest visitor awareness about the risk of starting a wildfire.

For additional information, visit fs.usda.gov.