Click here to see the Range Assessment
All of our hard work has not helped. The Carson range is never going to be open again. There are a lot of contributing factors at play and there isn't one person to point the finger at. Other than Carson City itself and our leadership. Last summer the city spoke with CRAPC and jointly they decided to do some "range improvements". The city utilized the advice of the club and the clubs president at the time Randall Brooks. Brooks is certified by the NRA as a Range Technician Team Adviser (RTTA). This is an extensive course and takes hundreds of hours (so Randall has told me). In early November there was a complaint by a person at the landfill saying that a round came from the range and blew out his window. That report was determined to be unfounded and the range was reopend the following day. After that another report of "stray rounds" entering the landfill was filed by landfill employees. Instead of fighting these accusations Randall decided to play along with the city and together they found rounds from undetermined times strewn throughout the landfill and the hill between the landfill and the range. This prompted a partial closure of the range. Being allowed to operate only on weekends with a mandatory RSO on site provided by the club. There were caliber restrictions put into place and full autos were completely banned. Recently the city spent over $7k to install new signs at the range stating these rules. The city hired an outside company to evaluate the range. The link to that report is attached. In the report the adviser found that the signage was inadequate, the berms at the bays were completely done incorrectly (by Randall's and the clubs advice), along with a myriad of other needed upgrades. If we are to follow these guidelines it will cost the city upwards of half a million to bring the range up to date and safe to shoot at. The city supervisors decided to make a task force of locals to see what can be done and how to implement these changes. This task force is being put together to save face and to try and keep us from being upset at the city. We are still awaiting an additional report from the NRA themselves. This report will most likely be almost exactly the same as the current one as the current one actually follows the NRA guidelines unlike the information that was given to the city by the club.
We are changing drastically in Carson City. There are thousands of combined new homes and apartments to be built. Our open spaces are being closed off for development. I've been a resident of Carson off and on for most of my life. Two of my children were born in Reno. My family owns businesses here. My grandfather ran for state senate many years ago. Change is inevitable and painful but it is happening far to fast. Through my years here as anyone that has lived here for many years can tell you. We are a bang and bust state. We do great for a few years and then we go really bad. What happens to all of these new homes when we invetiably "bust" next? All of these new homes will sit vacant and our homes will plummet in value.
The range was the first to go. The city is very proud of the new disc golf course being built next to it. This is the way we are headed. Soon you will see 4x4 trails shut down for horses, hikers and bike riders. Quads and dirt bikes will be found as a nuisance and will be banned within city limits. More gates will be put up to protect us from ourselves. Our outdoor shooting areas will be shut down to us. The city will say that its for our safety and to protect the outdoors. There will be homes standing where we once played as kids. The progressive ideology will take hold. Where there were once gun shops you will see coffee shops and boutique stores.
2020 is our next election. Mayor Bob will be term limited and someone new will take his place. We need to be very careful who we vote for. In the next two years there will be massive change and development. After that it will be our turn to make our voices heard with our vote.