HomeMy WebLinkAbout17 NelsonNovember 5, 2019
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TO: Members of the Jefferson County Plar ifl 4FVW WNYH°
My name is Rick Nelson and I live at 31 Combs Place, which is in the
Ocean Grove area of Discovery Bay.
I'm a member of the Jefferson County Sportsman's Association and
started shooting at the JCSA range in 1975. It has been pointed out
several times during these meetings, but I think it's important once
again to emphasize, that the JCSA was established in 1962 and that
the range has had an excellent safety record for more than 50 years.
Over the years the JCSA has provided very important gun safety and
hunter safety courses for many people. In addition, the JCSA has
provided a safe facility for hundreds of people to enjoy the recreational
sport of Shooting.
In 1986, 1 bought the property where I currently live. One of the
reasons I bought this property was so that I could shoot on my own
land and teach my grandchildren to be responsible gun owners. For
over thirty years I shot legally, sa_ fes, and respond on my property.
It is important to note that my property has a common property line
with the Ocean Grove Community. During these years of shooting on
my property not one person came to me and asked about my
shooting on my property or raised objection to my shooting on my
property. Not the Ocean Grove Mana er, not one person from the
Ocean Grove Community, no one from law enforcement, no one!
In April of 2015, the Ocean Grove Community petitioned the county to
designate the Ocean Grove area a no -shooting zone. In 2017, the
county designated the Ocean Grove area a no -shooting zone. When
Ocean Grove became a no -shooting zone, I voluntarily stopped
shooting on my property and have since shot exclusively at the JCSA
range.
I'm not here this evening to make any threats, but simply to warn the
residents of Jefferson County what will happen if the JCSA range is
shut down, the only range in Jefferson County. If the JCSA range is
shut down I will have no other option but to go back to shooting on
my property. I would also feel obligated to invite the many friends I
have made over the years shooting at the JCSA range to shoot with
me.
I think it is reasonable to assume that other JCSA members, of which
there are more than 700, will look for other places to shoot such as
forest service land, DNR property, gravel pits and so forth.
At a previous meeting regarding the shooting range moratorium, a
spokesperson for the Tarboo Ridge Coalition stated that they are not
anti -gun and that he, personally, owns a gun and is an avid hunter.
wonder where he scopes in his gun, practices his marksmanship and
gun safety.
At one of the last County Commissioner's meetings I was pleased to
hear a commissioner emphasize the fact that the County has entered
into a long-term agreement with the JCSA and that they intend to live
up to their part of the agreement. I ask, why are we back here again
debating the fate of the Jefferson County Sportsman's Association?
Respectfully,
Rick Nelson
31 Combs Place
Port Townsend WA 98368
(360) 385-3062