Answers needed on shooting range
To the Editor:
Lincoln County, Montana has requested a special use permit for a Troy Shooting Range. The location of this proposed site is on the southwest side of the Kootenai River across from milepost 9 on U.S. Highway 2. Access would be from the South Side Road (FSR 4402), approximately 4.5 miles from the junction with U.S. 2.
The proposal is for up to 10 all-weather shooting benches that would allow for public shooting, law enforcement shooting, and shooting sports events to be held there.
This area is excellent wildlife habitat. Deer, elk, moose, geese, ducks and numerous other species live in this area and have their young in this area. Shooting ranges are very loud and noisy and not compatible with wildlife. The wildlife would soon vacate the area if a shooting range is permitted. Residents who live in this area (or will live in this area) enjoy the wildlife and the quiet tranquility of the area.
Shooting ranges are used mostly in the evenings and on Saturdays and Sundays. This is when families are home, working in their yards, having outdoor barbeques, enjoying wildlife and relishing their peace and quiet. These are reasons they live in the country. Noise pollution is not compatible with this way of life.
FSR 4402 is an unimproved road, narrow (one lane in a lot of steep areas), poorly maintained, dangerous, dusty and with unmarked danger areas. This road should not absorb any more traffic than it already does.
Shooting ranges belong in uninhabited areas where there are natural noise buffers like hills or mountains. Shooting ranges do not belong on canyon floors or along river basins where the sharp noise is echoed up and down the river and canyon. There is a shooting range in Libby if a suitable site cannot be located in the Troy area. There are also gun club sites at Bull Lake and Yaak.
To reiterate:
Gunshots are loud and echo up and down rivers and canyons;
Gunshots disturb wildlife and wildlife will leave the area;
Shooting events are held in the evenings and on weekends, prime quality outdoor home time for families;
FSR 4002 is already overused, dangerous and not well maintained;
Area residents and families will have a decreased quality of life if this shooting range is permitted;
There may be a decrease in property values because of noise pollution.
I do understand there is a problem with littering from "shooters" throughout the county. I do not believe responsible shooters are causing this problem. We are always going to have our testosterone-driven "Rambo" types who will go pick up a case of beer and go shooting, whenever and wherever they want. They will not go to a shooting range to drink and shoot and litter!
Questions that need to be answered:
l Who is requesting a Troy shooting range?
l Proposed law enforcement patrolling of this shooting range site?
l Has Stimson Lumber Company and Burlington Railroad been notified and responded (adjacent landowners)?
l Are there other proposed sites being considered?
l Proposed improvements and budget for FSR 4002 and maintenance procedures and budget?
l "Sound testing" procedures equipment, participants, dates, times and results and future testing proposed?
l Studies on shooting range noise on wildlife habitat?
l Proposed public meetings on site selection?
l Have all area residents/landowners been notified?
Per a phone conversation with Michael Balboni, District Ranger, Three Rivers Ranger District on March 25, I was told that I would not have a decreased quality of life if this proposed site becomes a reality because I had access to thousands of other acres of forest service land. This is not an objective or neighborly attitude! A shooting range site also has thousands of acres of potential locations.
Common sense should prevail. If this proposed site decreases the quality of life of area residents then common courtesy should dictate this site be eliminated from consideration.
Brian Higgins
Troy