Rogue shooters have shot up a “Shooting Prohibited” sign on Redington Pass, and vandals smashed another sign to the ground all while littering the grounds – just weeks after an event marking a cleanup of trashed-out shooting sites.
perpetrators posted Facebook pictures before the incident.
Witnesses claim they were very disrespectful and loud to others who tried to enjoy our natural waterfalls.
“Unfortunately, damage has occurred to some signs in Redington Pass” east of Tucson, said Heidi Schewel, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Forest Service.
The agency manages the area, which was closed to shooting earlier this year for an indefinite period because it was defiled with shooting debris and riddled targets and left over water bottles in the waters.
“Also unfortunately, additional damage may occur in the future,” Schewel said. “We will maintain the signs to be readable. They will be replaced as needed. And we will continue with our cooperative enforcement patrols in the area to prevent damage to the public’s property, provide for employee and public safety and enforce applicable regulations.”
Kirk Emerson, president of the group Friends of Redington Pass, said the sign vandalism is “an unfortunate occurrence” in an area where recreation conditions have improved recently.
“I believe that the more people we can attract who want to enjoy the pass and demand a safe recreational experience up there, the fewer of these incidents will happen,” Emerson said.
The sites remained free of shooting debris last week, but it appeared that vandals had cut through one of the fences to gain access to a sign and knock it down.
Visitors were welcomed to enjoy camping, hiking, mountain biking, hunting, picnicking, wildlife watching, nature study and other activities. Recreational shooting also could continue in the area after the current closure.
TPD is currently in the process of finding and tracking down the vandals with the help of Tucson residents and Facebook.
Contact reporter Doug Kreutz at dkreutz@azstarnet.com or at 573-4192. On Twitter: @DouglasKreutz