On Tuesday the gun range proposed by former Shasta County Supervisor Patrick Jones will go on trial. In 2023 the county approved the project by a 3 to 1 vote with Jones abstaining. The 152 acres on Millville Plains would feature long-range rifle firing lines, handgun bays, and clay target shooting ranges. There would also be several large buildings. Jones would want to operate the club 5 days a week and hold up to 14 events a year with hundreds of people shooting. It would also allow overnight RV camping. The lawsuit filed by neighbors of the proposed range names Jones and the county for a number of points, including failure to require an environmental impact report. The suit says the county has not addressed impacts to wildlife or to water quality in Bear Creek, which runs along one edge of the property. They also contend that it’s not possible for the range to be built using the Department of Energy “best practices”, as Jones has claimed. The suit says errant rifle fire with a range of up to 7,000 yards could reach at least 97 surrounding homes and businesses, and some major roads including Highway 44. The group says the backstops needed to contain errant bullets would require Millions of Cubic Yards of dirt for Berms that would take decades to complete. Another issue is fire danger. The Millville site would have to prohibit the use of lead ammunition, instead requiring steel or copper ammunition that’s more likely to start fires. There are also 500,000 volt transmission lines very nearby. The opposition group filed suit in November of 2023, and it will land in Shasta County Superior Court at 9 O’clock Tuesday morning.
-Steve Gibson