Photos courtesy of Harney County Sheriff’s Office

The trap house roof, showing multiple bullet holes.

It is the kind of scene that makes you shake your head: A public structure shot to excess by vandals.

More than two dozen close-range pistol rounds damaged the Burns Butte Shooting Range trap house sometime between April 16 and 19.

“It’s disappointing,” Jeff Rose, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Burns District Manager, said. “There is no good reason for something like this to happen. It’s careless, reckless, and beyond frustrating.”

The BLM is asking for help to identify those responsible. A $1,000 reward is available for details leading to an arrest and conviction. Contact the Harney County Sheriff’s Office at (541) 573-6156 or the BLM’s special agent in charge, Nick Wilcox, at (541) 315-8462 with any information.

Located on public land just 3 miles from Hines, the Burns Butte Shooting Range is managed by the BLM and Burns Butte Sportsmen’s Club. The Club hosts regular shooting events and maintains the grounds and equipment, such as targets, pistol and rifle ranges, sporting clay fields, and site structures.

Vandalism to public property in Harney County is becoming all too common. Damages range from defaced signs to stolen property and destroyed facilities, many by bullet holes or fire. In some cases, vandalism does more than destroy public facilities. Actions like trash dumping, chemical disposal, and off-road driving in muddy conditions inflict long-term damage to our natural resources. It all adds up to an ugly, expensive problem.

Penalties for vandalism can range from a misdemeanor to a Class B felony, with fines and jail time possible for severe cases.

You can help keep your public lands safe, clean, and free of vandalism. Keep your eyes on the properties like they are your own — because they are — and report any illegal activity immediately.