The seal of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians in California. Image from Facebook
The Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians in California won't build a gun range without addressing all concerns about the controversial project, Chairman Nicholas Fonseca said. The tribe wants to build a 29-lane outdoor shooting range on trust land near a major highway. Opponents in the neighborhood have raised sound and safety issues. "We are investigating and vetting all concerns," Fonseca said in a press release. "We will not move forward with the project until all concerns are addressed."
YouTube: Shingle Springs Gun Range Sound Demonstration
The tribe is constructing a test site to perform sound and other studies. Opponents made a video of their own and claimed gun shots could be heard from an area where schools are located, about 1,000 yards away. A tribal official, however, said the video was misleading because the gun range will include sound barriers. "I think it's not really fair to the tribe to jump to conclusions," administrator Ernest Vargas told News10.
This aerial map shows the "Shingle Springs Off-Reservation Trust Land" where the proposed shooting range will be located in Shingle Springs, California. Image from Google Maps
According to Google Maps, the driving distance between the proposed gun range and the schools is about 0.8 miles. There is no direct path from the site on the reservation to those schools. The tribe's amended its firearms ordinance to authorizes the shooting range, according to a resolution passed in April 2014. Get the Story:
Shingle Springs gun range foes post sound test on YouTube (News10 3/23)
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