HomeMy WebLinkAbout001 FreemanComments to the Jefferson County Planning Commission: Land use impacts of new gun
range ordinance
From:
Scott Freeman
2110 East Quilcene Road
Quilcene WA 98376
sfreeman991@gmail.com
I am writing to thank the Planning Commission for taking up the issue of how the new Jefferson
County ordinance regulating gun ranges impacts land use. Because of the impacts on public
safety, noise pollution, and lead and copper contamination, developing new outdoor gun ranges
in a way that is compatible with existing land use is fraught—perhaps even impossible in County
with a large rural population and a heavy dependence on forestry, tourism, and agriculture as
economic engines.
To address specific issues in the draft ordinance regulating commercial gun ranges, I would like
to make two points on behalf of my family and the Tarboo Ridge Coalition—a group that we
actively support:
1. We oppose the use of commercial gun ranges for military and paramilitary training,
and
2. We endorse 500 yard setbacks from public waterways and shorelines to protect public
safety and preserve the integrity of public recreation areas.
One of the most important issues for the Planning Commission concerns a serious technical flaw
in the new ordinance: It allows military and paramilitary use, which conflicts with defining gun
ranges as SSRT uses. Military and paramilitary use is not small scale, it is not recreational,
and it is not tourist—so it should not be allowed under County land-use code. We endorse
training by local law enforcement at Jefferson County gun ranges, including municipal police,
sheriff’s deputies, and tribal officers, and note that local law enforcement entities have
confirmed that all of their needs are met by training at the existing range at the
Sportsmen’s Club. Our military personnel should train at bases where they can operate safely
and effectively. In this context, it is important to point out that there are over 940,000 acres of
secured facilities in Washington state where military units can train in secret. Military use of
privately owned commercial facilities presents issues of intensity and scale that are incompatible
with the rural economy and rural residents of Jefferson County.
TRC is particularly concerned about this issue because it is not hypothetical: Both military and
para-military training were occurring at a gun range near Discovery Bay that was the source of
long-term conflicts with the County and that was recently shut down by the landowner. Military
use exacerbates all three issues that gun ranges raise: lead and copper contamination, noise, and
public safety.
The second ask I am making on behalf of TRC’s Board and membership and my family concerns
setbacks from public shorelines, including lakes and other waterways. Lakes, rivers, and other
waterways are public assets that are important for fishing, boating, swimming, and general
enjoyment of open space. All of these values are compromised by the proximity of a gun range.
Even if ranges are directly away from shorelines, the danger posed by stray bullets is real. No
responsible parent will be comfortable watching their child swim or boat or fish a stone’s
throw away from active shooters—especially with shooting at the intensity of a gun range.
Jefferson County is a national model for the revitalization of rural American based on innovative
family farms and agricultural businesses, small-scale forestry, agricultural tourism, and tourism
that is focused on hiking, biking, hunting, fishing, and boating. Our county has become a magnet
for young people who are starting rural-based businesses and starting families. Allowing large-
scale outdoor gun ranges would be a major and perhaps permanent setback to our vision for the
future of Jefferson County and rural America.