Columnist: You may be due money from Remington

Wednesday, June 26, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

THE MONTANA WILDLIFE Federation recently announced that claim forms for owners of certain Remington firearms are available.

The MWF instigated litigation in an effort to encourage Remington to begin manufacturing shotgun barrels with higher strength steel.

If you own a Remington Model 870, 1100 or 11-87 12-gauge shotgun, or a Model 3200, Sportsman Model 58, Sportsman 12-A and/or Sportsman 12-P manufactured between 1960 and June 1995, you may be eligible for a cash settlement. The MWF recommends the check be used to replace old barrels with a new high-strength barrel to reduce the potential of burst barrels.

By settling the litigation, Remington, DuPont (Remington's former parent company) and two DuPont subsidiaries denied claims that the value of these particular shotguns was reduced, because the barrel steel once used was not strong enough.

In addition to divvying up $31.5 million (less attorney's fees), Remington will provide a safety brochure claimants are required to read prior to cashing the check.

The claim form will be published in all major magazines, or you can contact the Montana Wildlife Federation about filing a claim.

Contact Gary Hindman at the MWF, P.O. Box 1175, Helena, MT 59624, (406) 449-4937 or FAX (406) 449-8946. The e-mail address is MWF@Desktop.org. Claim forms are due back to Remington by Sept. 30, 1996.

Notes

* ENSIGN DOES RIGHT THING: I wouldn't exactly call Rep. John Ensign, R-Nev., an environmentalist, but you have to give out pats on the back when they're due. Ensign has voted with a majority of his fellow Representatives to support the Dicks Amendment in the Interior Appropriations Bill (H.R. 3662). The Dicks Amendment struck down the Riggs Amendment in H.R. 3662, which attempted to circumvent the Endangered Species Act and deny critical habitat designation to a portion of Northern California's old-growth forests -- critical nesting habitat for the marbled murrelet.

* FIRES THREATEN HABITAT: Southern Nevada is suffering from extremely dry conditions while Northern Nevada had good moisture through the winter and spring, allowing fire "fuels" to build up. That makes the area a prime target for fires. Already, there have been three major fires in Nevada -- one near Pioche, one near Caliente and the Kingsbury Grade fire south of Carson City. Not all fires are bad. Much of Nevada's landscape evolved from lightning-caused fires. Things have changed, though. When fires burn these days, suppression techniques are used to fight them. In addition, non-native species often quickly invade a site. It's expensive to treat a fire site with native seeds, then hope for the right amount of moisture and lack of competition from livestock and other critters. So many thousands of acres go untreated. The invasion of non-natives will almost assure the fire cycle will continue. No matter where the fire or how big, it's going to displace wildlife. To help reduce the risk, those who plan to camp and fish in the back country should be extremely cautious with campfires and motorized vehicles, so as not to aggravate an already bad fire situation.