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Howdy!
It's time for our progress report on the Clark County Shooting Park and there's lots to talk about!!
GOOD NEWS!
C onstruction is well under way. Contri Construction has completed over 90%  of the water line. The reservoir and water lines are installed. The pump station was delivered last week and the lines and reservoir are being tested.
GREAT NEWS!
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitor’s Authority awarded Clark County a $250,000 grant for the design of our tourism center. This will be a themed-based range available for destination shooting activities. More will be written about this feature as the design progresses. We are very grateful to the LVCVA for their generous grant.
OUTSTANDING NEWS!
Capriati Construction was awarded the bid and has begun work on the civil part of the Public Module. This includes construction of Decatur Boulevard to the s hooting park and the entire on site civil work including utilities, roads, ranges, building pads, and other structures. As soon as water is brought to the building pads, building construction will begin.
REALLY GREAT NEWS!
On April 28, Kristen Stetzenbach was added to our shooting park staff. She is our Outreach Specialist and will be involved with our outreach program, training and scheduling volunteers and representing the shooting park at local venues, expos, etc. Her duties also include developing our women’s and junior’s shooting programs.
OTHER NEWS!
On May 11, the Las Vegas Review Journal ran a news story that indicated that Nellis Air Force Base was concerned that the shooting park would effect their flight operations. This unleashed two television news stories that the shooting park was being opposed by the Air Force, would allow 50 caliber rifles, and would be too loud. This resulted in the Shooting Park Manager being interviewed by two television stations, a radio talk show interview, and an appearance on a local television news editorial program called “Face to Face.” Also on the program was a representative of the homeowners association who are vocal opponents of the shooting park. This media coverage has allowed us to get our side of the story out to the public. It wasn’t until these media events occurred that we were able to realize the overwhelming support for the shooting park project. Our feedback has been running 90-95% in support of the shooting park. Consequently, we are enjoying tremendous community support. A group of local homeowners are concerned about some features of the shooting park. They voiced their concerns during the Public Comment agenda item at the May 21, Clark County Shooting Park Advisory Committee meeting.
FACTS BEHIND THE NEWS
Nellis AFB and Clark County have a long history of interaction regarding the shooting park. In 2000, the Director of Parks & Recreation and a County Commissioner met with the Base Commander regarding a public shooting range. The Nellis smallbore range was one of the areas that the search committee was evaluating for the public shooting park. The result of the meeting was that there were too many difficulties with utilizing Department of Defense properties for public shooting.
In 2003, at the request of the Base Commander a Nellis AFB employee was assigned to the Shooting Park Advisory Committee. This employee served on the committee when the current master plan for the site was developed.
In March 2008, the shooting park staff contacted flight operations at Nellis AFB requesting input on a flight safety beacon to be installed on a communications tower on the shooting park site. Clark County and Nellis AFB personnel met and discussed the safety tower and other shooting park related activities. Nellis AFB said they would take the information to their safety committee and advise if they had any issues. As of the date of the news stories, the county has not received feedback from Nellis AFB. Following are the official press releases as a result of these stories.
Nellis AFB Public Statement Regarding Clark County Shooting Park
May 9, 2008
Nellis leadership continues to work with Clark County on ways to develop the shooting park in a manner that accommodates both agencies. We have multiple flight routes over the area, and it is important we retain that capability because growth across the valley has reduced the availability of alternate routes to the Nevada Test and Training Range. Nellis remains committed to working with the County to adopt the necessary safety modifications to develop the park compatibly with our mission."
Clark County Public Statement Regarding Relationship with Nellis AFB
May 9, 2008
Nellis is an important part of this community and has been a key partner in the development of the shooting park from the beginning. We are dedicated to creating not just a top-notch facility, but one with the highest of safety standards. We are going to continue to work closely with Nellis to address any concerns that they might have."
Bottom line: There is no issue or problem between Nellis AFB and Clark County regarding the Clark County Shooting Park. The Clark County Shooting Park is designed to provide a safe shooting venue for all parties concerned.
The Clark County Shooting Park is designed to be safe for the use of all legally owned firearms. This includes use of 50 caliber rifles. The master plan does not include a heavy machine gun range, 50 caliber rifles can be safely utilized on the rifle ranges. The 1,200-yard range is not part of the current construction and will be built when funding is secured.
A lot of noise has been generated over shooting range sound. There is a half-mile wide flood control basin between the southern property boundary and the nearest piece of private land that can be developed into homes. In order to further reduce our sound print on nearby homes, we established the nearest ranges (trap and skeet fields) a half mile further into the property. That means that the closest shooting possible to any residential development is a minimum of ONE MILE. This was accomplished at considerable expense to the project as the rifle/pistol ranges had to be moved further onto the property into steeper slopes, thereby increasing the amount of grading costs. To verify our decision to move the ranges a mile away from residences, we consulted a sound study performed at the Tucson Trap and Skeet Club in Tucson, AZ. A certified sound expert conducted the test during a major trap event. The Tucson Club has 25 fields and the shooting park has 24. According to the sound test report, the sound from the shooting club at the one-mile distance was recorded at 40 dBA
Clark County has a firm sound ordinance that the shooting park must meet. We will test the sound from the ranges once grading has been completed. If we fail to meet the county sound code requirements, we will design and build sound attenuation devices, (walls or berms) based on sound expert recommendations, to meet the sound code before the ranges are completed. If we meet the sound code, the savings in sound attenuation funds will be used for other features in the Public Module.
Shooting Park staff has been busy preparing for opening and operating the new shooting park. As one can just imagine, there are quite a variety of tasks that have to be accomplished before we can begin operations. Besides design and construction, this includes marketing, merchandising, developing interagency agreements, staffing, training and management activities.
FUTURE NEWS!
We are looking forward to providing our next progress report in July. Until then, stay cool, enjoy your summer and keep track of our progress on our webpage http://www.accessclarkcounty.com/depts/parks/locations/pages/Shooting_Park.aspx
Don Turner, Manager
Clark County Shooting Park
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