FS may re-open Gun Range at Index Town

[indexian]

The Forest Service may re issue a permit to the Index Gun range. This range is directly in front of the town wall. Remember the noise from the past ?? The primary users of the range re from Sultan. isn't there a better use for this land ?

See scoping letter below. Comments due by Dec 1.

 

Dear Reader,

The Skykomish Ranger District of the Mt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest is seeking

comments on a proposal to issue a 1 year Special Use Permit (permit) for the use of existing

facilities for a public target range on National Forest System (NFS) land in Snohomish County,

WA near the town of Index NE 1/4 of Sec 19 T27N, R10E, W.M (See Map). The target range

would operate between the hours 3:30 to 10:00pm on Thursdays and between the hours of

9:00am to 3:30pm on Sundays.

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA):

The Forest Service has made a preliminary assessment that re-issuance of this permit fits within

the Forest Service NEPA Handbook 1909.15 Chapter 31.12 Category 8: Approval, modification,

or continuation of minor, short-term (one year or less) special uses of National Forest System

lands, and is therefore excluded from documentation in an environmental assessment (EA) or

environmental impact statement (EIS). If it is determined through public scoping, and the

analysis that extraordinary circumstances exist that would preclude the use of this category, an

EA or EIS may be prepared. Under this category, the project decision would not be subject to

administrative appeal under 36 CFR 215.

How to comment and timeframe:

This scoping letter and any additional information are available on the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie

National Forest website at: http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs/projects/ .

Electronic, written, facsimile and oral comments should be received by December 1, 2007.

Electronic comments must be submitted in rich text format (.rtf) or Word (.doc) via email to

bbusse@fs.fed.us. Written comments can be submitted to Barbara Busse, Skykomish District

Ranger, at 74920 NE Stevens Pass Highway, PO BOX 305, Skykomish, WA 98288 or by FAX

at 425.783.0214. The office hours for those submitting hand delivered comments are 8:00am to

4:30pm Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Oral comments must be provided at the

responsible official’s office during normal business hours via telephone at (360.677.2414).

Comments received in response to this letter, including names and addresses where required, will

be part of the public record and available for public review.

Sincerely,

/S/ BARBARA BUSSE

Barbara Busse

Skykomish District Ranger

cc: Y. Robert Iwamoto, Sean B. Wetterberg, Jamie Schwartz

Caring for

[MarkMcJizzy]

It never bothered me in the past, they were only allowed shotguns, and it added to the atmosphere. Seems like there are better things to fight.

 

Let them have their fun.

 

Even if they are from Sultan

[Rad]

Shotguns ok. Rifles not ok.

Edited November 17, 2007 by Rad

[mattp]

I agree with Mark. Let 'em have their fun. The noise is disturbing but not out of line with those g'damn trains and the proposal is that they'd be operating two days a week.

 

I don't think that we as a user group want to argue that our activity is good and others that may tengentially impact us are bad. Is there any reason to argue against this other than simply the fact that we don't want to hear them?

[kurthicks]

I'd rather see them shooting in a range than blasting at whatever they choose along any (and all) forest roads.

[Jens]

It never bothered me.

--------------------

When we're climbing pin scarred routes in a quarry with railroad tracks going by in the middle of land that has been logged many times over, the gun range isn't going to hurt us. And was said before, it will keep em' out of the forests.

[tvashtarkatena]

Why don't they shoot out those three stop lights in Sultan for us, too? WTF!

[MisterMo]

The Forest Service may re issue a permit to the Index Gun range. This range is directly in front of the town wall. Remember the noise from the past ?? The primary users of the range re from Sultan. isn't there a better use for this land ?

 

You bet I remember the noise. It never bothered me though; I'm looking forward to hearing it again. The Sportsmen, FYI, have been shooting on that site for one helluva long time. Good friends, neighbors, and members of the community, each and every one of them.

 

Perhaps you'd take a minute to substantiate your assertion that "The primary users of the range re from Sultan", then take another minute to tell us why that matters.

[MarkMcJizzy]

Does "indexian" live in Index? Or are they a little more Metropolitian? I sense a little cultural bias against gun clubs and citizens of Sultan.

 

Gawd, I almost sound like Greg Wall there.

 

 

 

[ivan]

i remember climbing in seneca rocks, wv - there's rock quarries of somethign like that real close by, i assume, b/c every hour or so tremendous explosions could be heard - lent the place ambiance for certain

 

climbing round gunfire'skewl - you can close your eyes on lead and imagine you're a ranger storming the cliffs of normandy!

[chirp]

The gun club is fine with me, alot of fine memories. It effects the climbing by zero.

 

[AlpineK]

I've had some good climbing days while the folks at the gun club were having a good time blasting stuff.

[foraker]

the guys at the range don't bother me. it's the freaks in the forests with automatic weapons that do.

[tvashtarkatena]

I think a gun range for people from Sultan is fine as long as the Navy can open up a bombing range right at the town of Sultan centered on, say, those three traffic lights.

[DirtyHarry]

Awesome. I can go climbing and sight in my rifle on the same trip. Too bad its only going to be open two days a week though.

[pope]

Bring it back. Every sport climber will think twice before reaching for his girly drill. "Is that noise coming from the gun club, or is Kit Lewis taking aim?"

[AlpineK]

Bring back Kit Lewis to Index, and bring back the pig.

 

[MisterMo]

Indeed:

[DRep]

why do people hate sultan so much, its just a bunch of friendly rednecks.. Just to clear things up, we put in those lights for one reason - to piss you off!

[rob]

Tvash and I picked up a Sultan native once who was hitching. She had a tail and spit acid.

[builder206]

The DNR land on either side of the road north from Sultan up to Spada Reservoir was used as a de facto shooting range for many years. You could mine lead from some of the cutouts on that road.

 

That has been stopped because Everett is moving east and has surburbinized the area. The Snohomish County Council got DNR to ban shooting there. So whur are they gonna shoot now? Index!

[LUCKY]

When you infringe on other groups right to enjoy there sport is when it usually comes around to bite you in the ass