What is this about?
The Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, owners of Red Hawk Casino, is moving forward with building a proposed 29-lane outdoor commercial gun range and tactical live-fire shoot house. The proposed range will be within 1000 yards of two public elementary schools and a church, and within 100 yards of dozens of private residences directly in the line-of-fire.
This is the wrong location for an outdoor commercial gun range. The project will force the residents to leave their homes at a fraction of their original property value and will mean that nearby elementary schoolchildren and churchmembers will be playing, studying and worshiping to the sound of gunfire.
How is this gun range different?
The project is being built by the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, owners of Red Hawk Casino, on sovereign land where county and federal zoning rules and safety regulations do not apply. This land was only recently acquired by the tribe. The project, as proposed, would not be approved under normal county laws and regulations. If this project goes through, it will set a dangerous precedent for the whole state as tribes everywhere are looking for ways to diversify their business ventures. This situation will set a precedent for relations between local communities and tribes throughout California and the nation.
Is this about gun rights?
Our concerns revolve around quality of life and safety issues, and in no way relate to gun rights. Many of us are gun enthusiasts and we support the second amendment right to bear arms.
Is this about Native American rights?
We respect the right of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians to develop on trust land. We only ask that they be good neighbors and consider the safety and quality of life of the surrounding community.
Why should I care?
The project is being fast-tracked
Groundbreaking is targeted for March 2015 and without immediate action by our community, this project will open in Summer 2015.
The usual regulations don't apply
The project is being built by the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians on sovereign land where county and federal rules and regulations do not apply. This land was only recently acquired by the tribe. The project, as proposed, would not be approved under normal county laws and regulations.
It sets a dangerous precedent
If the Tribe is allowed to build this project, one can easily see a scenario where gun ranges and other inappropriate projects with no local approval or oversight start springing up on off-reservation trust land throughout the state with no concern for the proximity, safety and quality of life of the surrounding established communities.
The community has not been heard
Despite pleas from the community, project organizers have refused to modify their plans to move it to another location, build a safer indoor range, or pursue other alternatives.
No proper studies have been done
No impartial sound, safety or environmental impact studies have been completed.
We must make our voices heard
Only by making our voices heard can we preserve the safety and quality of life of our community.
Trust land bait-and-switch
In the 2002 Fee-to-Trust application filed by the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, the proposed projects for these fee-to-trust land parcels were to be a health clinic and six residential homes for Tribe members. Per the application:
“The Tribe chose the health clinic and housing sites…because the Tribe’s plans for the property are compatible with existing County land use values.”
Those parcels approved to be taken into trust in 2006 are now proposed by the Tribe to be a 29-lane outdoor gun range and a convenience store/gas station.
While this bait-and-switch is legal per the current trust land legislation, it is not aligned with the original intent of the legislation. If the Tribe had proposed a 29-lane outdoor gun range located less than 200 yards from existing neighbors in their original trust land application, the application would not and should not have been approved. The fact that the stated use of trust land can be altered by the Tribe without limit provides no protection to the U.S. citizens located just on the other side of the sovereign nation boundary. For the safety of the U.S. citizens located just outside the sovereign nation there has to be some reasonable limit to the projects that the Tribe can develop to ensure the safety of their neighbors and peace of their surrounding community. Currently, there is no such limit in existing trust land law.
The situation is even more troublesome given the fact that the Tribe has two pending applications on file with the Bureau of Indian Affairs to put several more parcels of land into trust. We have seen the Tribe’s willingness to abuse the land trust process and not follow through with the intended use of the land. Effective immediately, there should be no further approval of fee-to-trust land applications for the Shingle Springs Tribe given this pattern of abuse.
Sound test
On March 18, 2015, a group of concerned community members hired a professional acoustic consulting firm to conduct a live-fire sound test to measure the potential sound impact of the 29-lane outdoor gun range. The sound in the footage from the school and residences in this video comes from only seven firearms being fired on land right next to the Tribe’s proposed gun range. The scientific data from the study is being analyzed and the results will be released soon but the video speaks for itself.
Real Stories of the Impact on the Community
Gary lives 200 yards away and directly in the line-of-fire of the proposed gun range. Get a glimpse of how the range will affect his family, his horses and the surrounding community.
Carolyn lives near the proposed gun range. Her special-needs daughter attends the nearby elementary school.
Darren lives 1000 yards from the proposed gun range. His wife makes her living training people how to ride horses on their property.
A short clip of the seven-gun sound test as heard from California Montessori Project Elementary School.
Get Involved
Donate Online via GoFundMe
Our efforts cost money. To help with the costs of spreading the word to the concerned community (flyers, signs, domain names, sound study, etc.) please donate on our GoFundMe page: Donate Now!
El Dorado County Board of Supervisors
Ron Mikulaco, Supervisor District I, (530) 621-5650, bosone@edcgov.us
Shiva Frentzen, Supervisor District II, (530) 621-5651, bostwo@edcgov.us
Brian Veerkamp, Supervisor District III, (530) 621-5652, bosthree@edcgov.us
Michael Ranalli, Supervisor District IV, (530) 621-6513, bosfour@edcgov.us
Sue Novasel, Supervisor District V, (530) 621-6577, bosfive@edcgov.us
Board of Supervisors’ Agenda Item Comments, Clerk of the Board: edc.cob@edcgov.us
Congressman Tom McClintock
(916) 786-5560, http://mcclintock.house.gov/contact/email-me
Senator Dianne Feinstein
(202) 224-3841, https://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/e-mail-me
Senator Barbara Boxer
(202) 224-3553, https://www.boxer.senate.gov/contact/shareyourviews.html
Governor Jerry Brown
(916) 445-2841, https://govnews.ca.gov/gov39mail/mail.php
Sac Bee: viewpoints@sacbee.com
Mtn Democrat: http://www.mtdemocrat.com/letters-to-the-editor/
Village Life: http://www.villagelife.com/letter-to-the-editor/
Lake Tahoe News: http://www.laketahoenews.net/contribute
Folsom Telegraph: http://www.folsomtelegraph.com/contact/forms/letter-editor
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The gun range will be in close proximity to:
elementary schoolchildren
residences & local businesses
church members
of drivers on Highway 50
Community members are united in opposition
Marine Corps veteran and parent of a child at a nearby elementary school
Concerned parent of a student at CMP Shingle Springs
Concerned parent of a CMP Shingle Springs student
Recent News Coverage
Miwok tribe picks smaller El Dorado shooting range amid neighbors’ concerns
Sacramento Bee
April 19, 2015
John McGinness discusses proposed Shingle Springs gun range
KFBK NewsRadio podcast at ~15:00 mark
April 7, 2015
Noise concerns over Tribe’s outdoor gun range plan in El Dorado County
Capital Public Radio
April 1, 2015
Battle over proposed gun range appears ready to escalate
News 10
March 25, 2015
Neighbors protest planned shooting range on Tribal land
Fox 40
March 25, 2015
Shingle Springs gun range foes post sound test on YouTube
News 10
March 23, 2015
Proposed outdoor gun range worries Shingle Springs neighbors
KCRA 3
March 9, 2015
Neighbors oppose gun range on tribal land
News 10
March 6, 2015
El Dorado County Says It Can’t Stop Tribe’s Plans To Build Outdoor Gun Range Near Schools
CBS 13
March 4, 2015
Gun range pitched on tribal land
Village Life
February 26, 2015
Local Tribe Proposes Open Gun Range
KTXL Fox 40
Febuary 24, 2015
Shooting Range Draws Fire, Ire
Mountain Democrat
Febuary 27, 2015