Shooting Enthusiasts... Anything I can do?

[Nefarious]

My buddy kept telling me that he saw on the news that they were going to put a shooting range near my house, just a couple of miles away. Which is good news as the nearest public range is about 20 miles away. Well, after he reminded me once again, I did some searching and found the news clip he saw on TV.

http://www.wboy.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=26115

Clarksburg Police Department and FBI to Build Firing Range Together

Posted Monday, July 9, 2007 ; 05:48 PM
Updated Monday, July 9, 2007 ; 05:49 PM

The FBI is picking up the majority of the cost.

CLARKSBURG -- The Clarksburg Police Department and the FBI are on target to build a new shooting range. The new range will cost roughly $215,000.
The FBI is paying $175,000 of the total and Clarksburg is putting in $40,000. City manager Martin Howe said after the range is completed, the city will own the it and the FBI will have access to it.
Howe said the city is getting ready to bid out construction on the project and that site preparations should begin soon. The new range will be in Glen Elk Number Two, behind the city's compost center.

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Immediately I had the notion that it was not going to be the public. So I emailed the City Manager to get the scoop.

Hello Mr Howe,

I recently saw a clip on the news regarding a new shooting range past the compost center in Glen Elk number Two.

In the article, it said:

"City manager Martin Howe said after the range is completed, the city will own the it and the FBI will have access to it."

Will the public have access to it as well? Right now, the public has a very limited choice when it comes to public shooting ranges,
as a resident of North View I look forward to the new range as long it is open to the public.

Thanks,

Will Hyman

This is what he writes back:

Mr. Hyman –

Thank you for the email.  It is great to hear from citizens.  To briefly give you a history of the shooting range, the concept came about because of the limited time and opportunity our Police Force and the FBI were allowed to use the shooting range in which we were utilizing.  A partnership was formed with the FBI and City of Clarksburg to work together to build a range in which our law enforcement agencies could train and qualify on a regular basis as required by our respective agencies, while meeting state and federal codes.  The FBI provided funding to the City of Clarksburg and the city provided the property.

Due to liability and excessive use of this range it will not be open for public use.  Both agencies have range instructors that are present during active use to provide guidance and supervision.  The targeting system in which will be implemented is very expensive and a trained operator must be present.

We do hope to eventually host a gun safety course for children and adults at this facility in the future.  At this time it would be open for supervised use.

I greatly appreciate your concern and admire your enthusiasm for range shooting.

As a valued citizen, I am going to add you to my contact list for future emails in which I send out my manager’s report to community members.  These emails will be sent out approximately every two (2) weeks.  This will keep you up to date on some of the activity and development your city government is working on.

If I can be of any further assistance to you, please don’t hesitate to contact me at your convenience.  My contact information is below.

Sincerely,

Martin Howe

Now mind you, the FBI has a huge complex near Clarksburg, and there is already a Private Range for local law enforcement outside of city limits.

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0505/feature7/?fs=travel.nationalgeographic.com

Is there anything I can do to try to make it a public facility or has .gov just strengthened its presence in my neighborhood!

[RipChord929]

Something you can do? I seriously doubt it....
You have my sympathies tho....

That why I found a nice 4k ft home, on a big parcel,
way out in the sticks.... Now if I want to shoot
I can step outside my door... F the world!!!

"Greeeen acres, is the place,,,,TO BE.... Faaaaarm livin, is the life,,,,FOR ME"   LOL!!!

Took some gettin used to, for a city boy...
But after 12yrs, I'd NEVER go back...

Good luck, and well wishes...
  RC

[Nefarious]

Saving now for my own land, But that's probably more than a couple years down the road for me.

[Airscrew]

[Due to liability and excessive use of this range it will not be open for public use.  Both agencies have range instructors that are present during active use to provide guidance and supervision.  The targeting system in which will be implemented is very expensive and a trained operator must be present.]

I would say he has a valid concern, but I would think there are ways to satisfy those. 
1.  Gun Club - membership fees, range fees.  Fees could pay for additional maintenance and instructors.
2.  It could just be limited public use, say weekends only.
3.  They can have waivers for the public to cover the liablity insurance issues.

I wouldnt push it right away, give them time to get it constructed and organized, but you could start developing a small group of people that would be interested in forming a Gun Club.

I think if they were to sit down and seriously discuss it they could find away to allow public use of the range.

[lazs2]

yeah.. safety... 

Did you know that shooting sports.. ranges in particular.. are safer than golf courses?   They are one of the safest sports for public access you can have.. 

It is funny to see that we put in a "skate park" unsupervised concrete hills and jumps for kids on skateboards..  the ambulance has been there a few times.. no one has sued yet tho.   

I would put the safety record of public ranges against any other public sports venue.

lazs

[Airscrew]

yeah.. safety... 
I would put the safety record of public ranges against any other public sports venue.
lazs

well I was going to use the example of public swimming pools.  They charge a fee to use the pools, establish "Saftey" rules and have some teenage lifeguards to watch over the pool.   I'll bet more people get injured at a public swimming pool than they do at a gun range..

[Cthulhu]

yeah.. safety... 

Did you know that shooting sports.. ranges in particular.. are safer than golf courses?   They are one of the safest sports for public access you can have.. 

It is funny to see that we put in a "skate park" unsupervised concrete hills and jumps for kids on skateboards..  the ambulance has been there a few times.. no one has sued yet tho.   

I would put the safety record of public ranges against any other public sports venue.

lazs

Yep, couldn't agree more. Just more hypocrisy from your elected officials. We had our range shut down for sometime because of a "stray" round that supposedly made it's way 2 miles downrange to a trailer park. Later we discovered the round was a .357 fired from inside one of the trailers by it's drunken occupant. 

But seriously, you don't really need access to a range.

Subsonic ammo + home-made suppressor + beer cans + neighbor's backyard = problem solved

j/k

[lazs2]

airscrew... you would win your bet by a landslide.

perception of safety and control are always more important than the real issue of safety so far as governments are concerned.

lazs

[Hangtime]

Yup... public money is involved.. public access should be granted. The suggestions regarding getting gun clubs involved would be one venue, another might be the NRA.

I'd definitely get a 'letter to the editor' composed for the local newspaper, see if you can get the interest of local reporters.

If it's not available to the public, why should the public pay?

[Shamus]

You don't get to fly in their Gulf5's or ride around in the government limo's , why on earth do you think you can play on the kings shooting range? 

shamus