| From West by Northwest.org Letters to the Editor No Supervision at the Polluting IWL Gun Range By Mike Speiser Jun 9, 2005
May 2005 Dear neighbors: As a gun owner and an outdoorsman, I respect the rights of individuals to own firearms, the need to train gun owners, and the need to educate the public about their appropriate use. I have no problem whatsoever with hunting (in a humane fashion) and I am in favor of gun clubs - properly sited with appropriate supervision. As you may have heard, the Izaac Walton League gun club continues operations in our area despite the costly and time-consuming efforts by several neighbors dedicated to moving this hazard from our neighborhood to a more appropriate location (or at a bare minimum addressing issues that affect the neighborhood). I have great respect for property rights, and I recognize that the IWL range has been in its current location far longer than I have owned my property. I moved to the nuisance, and there's a level of hypocrisy in advocating for the nuisance to be moved after the fact. However, when the club was originally created and permitted (through Lane County's Conditional Use Permit process), there was virtually no understanding of the severe consequences of lead contamination of soil and watershed, lower-powered weapons of the time did not risk injury at the distance of today's weapons, and the level of noise pollution from firearms typical of the time was significantly less. Neighbors have been unable to move the range even though the IWL has been determined by a jury (in July 2004) to be a public nuisance and polluting our watershed. They have been unable to motivate the IWL to address its problems despite a settlement that should have forced the IWL to clean up the lead contamination they have caused on our neighbors' property, and in the face of repeated defiance of terms negotiated in good faith to resolve this and other damaging effects of having a dangerous activity in the center of our community. There are facts about the IWL range that were unknown to me when I moved to the area, facts that are not in dispute that you should know regarding the IWL's activities and the potential damage while the range remains in operation at its current location. 1. The range is well within shooting distance of a large number of homes, schools, churches and businesses (as defined by the NRA handbook on gun range safety). I acknowledge that there have been no reported incidents or injuries related to discharge from the range. However, if we wait for one child to be hurt or killed, we have waited too long. Despite what you night think, topography does not protect anyone from misfires and stray bullets - as well documented by experts we have hired. There is real potential for injury or death from this - we have documented it. 2. By their own admission, there is no supervision at the IWL range, and the pattern of misbehavior - whether by IWL members or interlopers - presents a real danger to the neighborhood from stray gunfire, wildfire, and pollution. On several occasions, unattended bonfires have been discovered at the range, and the risk of wildfire is tremendous given their location at the bottom of our valley. I am a volunteer firefighter with Lane County Fire District #1 and this frightens me more than anything else. 3. By their own admission, the members of the IWL have greatly expanded the range without regard to the limits of their existing Conditional Use Permit. This includes creation of a new firing range on a neighbor's property (firing to the south where the topography offers absolutely no protection to neighbors) and the creation of several "pistol pits" to create circumstances when literally hundreds of rounds per minute can be discharged. Lane County has taken no action to enforce the conditions of the permit. The IWL has now applied for a new Conditional Use Permit that encompasses their illegal expansion to "grandfather" it in. Shockingly, Lane County approved this permit and there is an appeal of this appalling decision before the Lane County Board of Commissioners. (Update: The Lane County Board of Commissioners has refused to grant an appeal hearing and has sent the appeal to THe Land Use Appeal Board [LUBA]). 4. As a member of the board of the Spencer Butte Neighborhood Association, we met with and attempted to express our concerns to the IWL on several occasions and were completely rebuffed. After viewing the range, the board requested that Lane County perform the public review required within the IWL 's original permit, but absolutely no action was taken. What can you do to help? 1. If you know anyone who belongs to the IWL, encourage them to suggest to the IWL that they move the range to a more suitable location. They provide a valuable service to our community and they should continue to do so if they can do so in a safe, environmentally friendly manner. 2. Call, write, or send e-mail to the Lane County Commissioners to tell them your thoughts on this situation. Here is their contact information: Anna Morison anna.morrison@co.lane.or.us Bill Dwyer bill.dwyer@co.lane.or.us Bobby Green bobby.green@co.lane.or.us Faye Stewart Faye.Stewart@co.lane.or.us Peter Sorenson peter.sorenson@co.lane.or.us Lane County Public Service Building, 125 East 8th Avenue, Eugene, OR 97401, (541) 682-4203 3. If you are within the city limits of Eugene, call, write, or send e-mail to the city councilors about this problem. While it's outside the city limits, it directly affects you and your neighbors. Mayor - Kitty Piercy kitty.piercy@ci.eugene.or.us 682-5010 Ward 1 - Bonny Bettman Bonny.S.Bettman@ci.eugene.or.us 344-3150 Ward 2 - Betty Taylor Betty.L.Taylor@ci.eugene.or.us 338-9947 Ward 3 - David Kelly David.S.Kelly@ci.eugene.or.us 686-3343 Ward 4 - George Poling George.A.Poling@ci.eugene.or.us 517-3110 Ward 5 - Gary Pape'. gary.d.pape@ci.eugene.or.us 349-9939 Ward 6 - Jennifer Solomon Jennifer.L.Solomon@ci.eugene.or.us 461-3518 Ward 7 - Andrea Ortiz Andrea.F.Ortiz@ci.eugene.or.us 688-5588 Ward 8 - Chris Pryor Chris.E.Pryor@ci.eugene.or.us 484-6896 City of Eugene, 777 Pearl Street, Room 105, Eugene, OR 97401 4. Write a letter to the Register-Guard and Eugene Weekly, and call or write the local television and radio stations to complain about this dangerous situation. Here's the names and numbers: Register Guard Mailbag, P.O. Box 10188, Eugene OR 97440-2188 Fax:338-2828 rgletters@guardnet.com Eugene Weekly 1251 Lincoln, Eugene OR 97401 editor@eugeneweekly.com KMTR NewsSource 16, 3825 International Court, Springfield, Oregon 97477 (541) 746-1600 Kelli Warner kelliwarner@kmtr.com Matt Templeman matttempleman@kmtr.com Kris Seibel KrisSeibel@kmtr.com Renee McCullough reneemccullough@kmtr.com Monica Guza monicaguza@kmtr.com Dawn Prociv dawnprociv@kmtr.com KEZI-9, 2975 Chad Drive, Eugene, OR 97408, (541) 485-5394 news@kezi.com KVAL-TV, 4575 Blanton Road, Eugene, OR 97405 (541) 342-4961 kval13news@kval.com KLSR-TV, 2940 Chad Drive, Eugene Oregon 97408 (541) 683-3434 foxnews@klsrtv.com 5. Contribute to efforts to motivate the IWL to address these problems. An association has been created to facilitate this effort. Please contribute what you can (checks to Citizens for Responsibility): Citizens for Responsibility, P.O. Box 51142, Eugene OR 97405 If you have any questions, I'd be pleased to answer them (or find someone for you who can). Feel free to contact me at 284-7500 extension 101 or via e-mail at mspeiser@incova.com. You can also visit Citizens' for Responsibility for more detailed information and photographs. I hope you'll understand that this is a serious matter and that my intention here is to enlist your help because I honestly believe it directly affects you and your neighbors. I appreciate your time and attention, and I hope you'll consider helping us to resolve this serious problem. Note: I do not write representing the SBNA or CfR. Thanks very much! Mike Speiser Editor's Note: FYI: Your editor is party to two actions against the IWL, the land use complaint now sent to LUBA and the pollution case which was found to be factual by a jury of Lane County last summer. The local IWL was found liable for its pollution. Past references to IWL at WxNW.org: Izaak Walton, Spencer Creek Valley and an Irresponsible Shooting Range By Citizens for Responsibilty August Mail: It is Frenchglen and Grateful to the Jury © Copyright 2000-2004 by West by Northwest.org |
