The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON - Small communities often have a big population of gun enthusiasts, and the Touchet Valley is no exception. Access to good places to shoot is important for these folks. But throughout the country, small gun ranges are fighting to stay open.

A 2012 article in Outdoor Life maga- zine stated that public and private shooting ranges face many challenges these days - though interest in the sport is not the problem. Among more than 500 ranges interviewed in 2011, 42.4 percent said the volume of use increased.

"Threats to shooting ranges come from many directions," the Outdoor Life article stated, including complaints from neigh- bors, development zoning changes, new regulations and so on. And sometimes the threat is simply lack of funds.

The only gun range in Columbia County is located just a few miles up Patit Road. It is operated by the Columbia County Shooting Association, a group of firearms enthu- siasts with an often fluctuating number of members.

The association leases the land for the range from a local farmer, Dick Ingram, and they maintain just enough members - about 50 - to keep the facility open.

"We use all the money for membership ($50 per family per year) to keep up the range," said LeAnn Kemmerer, who is currently the only member on the association's board of directors. "Our costs include maintaining the port-a-potty, insurance, rental of the land, and range maintenance."

Organizations, such as the Columbia County Marksmen 4-H Club and the Pataha Rustlers (a local Cowboy Action Shooting club Kemmerer and her husband Ed also help run), often help with upkeep of the facility, but funds are increasingly tight - and most of the shooting association members pay their fees but are not active members (leaving just a handful or fewer to manage operations).

"More members would definitely help in being able to do future range improve- ments and possibly upgrade the port-apotty," Kemmerer said. "As all small clubs have trouble, we struggle to have member engagement, though the 4-H group has committed to help with range maintenance this year and that will help greatly."

For more information about the Colum- bia County Shooting Association or to find out how you can join or help out, visit their website at www.ccshooting.com or contact them via mail at Columbia County Shooting Association, PO Box 313, Dayton, WA 99328.