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Help!! Wisconsin Public range under attack.
1KYDSTR
Member Posts: 2,361 ✭✭✭
Hello All. It has been a while since I was on the forum...new baby, replacing one good job with 3 part-time positions..just been too busy to contribute in a meaningful way. Sorry to be a slacker, and also to jump back in full force with a cause that hit's close to home for a great number of us in Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin, but here goes.
One of my part time jobs for the last 5 years has been running the 300 yard rifle range at McMiller on weekends. This is a public range that has been in existance now since 1970 that is as varied as any range I have encountered living in the midwest lo these 45 years. Sporting Clays course, pistol range, 100 yard rifle, 50 yard rifle, 7 machine amateur trap and skeet, and the aforementioned 300 yarder...one of the only in the area.
The range land was donated by the McMiller family to the Wisconsin DNR with the understanding it would be a public range inperpetuity. This beautiful area is replete with hiking/horse trails and is in the Kettle Morraine state forest. Here to fore the Wi DNR has done good work to maintain the facility, and a series of private concerns have leased the facility as it is too expensive for the DNR to staff. The current lessor is Steve Williams, owner operator of Wern Valley Pheasants 4 miles away in Eagle Wisconsin.
The Range has flourished under his custodianship, and he has thus provided the ONLY public range available to those of us living in this general area for many years. $125/year membership, $22 to include ALL ranges per day. A fine alternative to the few private clubs that are in the area...and those are for the most part at capacity.
Now. for the corker. The current "leadership" within the local DNR has decided that it does not want the facility there anymore, as the local head of the DNR has a penchant for cross country skiing. I have NOTHING against these skiers. They have every right to enjoy the facility as we shooters do; however, not at the expense of a public shooting range. THOUSANDS of people use this range every year, but more or less the same 100 or so skiers are there off and on over the winter. There are myriad reasons why this becomes an elitist endeavor on the DNR's part, but time and space in this forum prevent me from fully expanding on why the needs of 100 or so skiers attempt to outweigh the needs of THOUSNADS of shooters in the 2 state area. As a brief synopsis, or perhaps an excellent example of why the DNR's custodianship has failed completely at this facility follows though in the next paragraph.
4 Years ago monies were earmarked for the further development of the facilty. The money was earmarked for the "range", not the property, i.e., the ski trails. As a way of circumventing this intended outlay of money, the local supervisor for the DNR decided that a Biathalon range was needed. $250,000 was spent to construct trails and the small range needed for competetive shooting. This was done in conjunction with the Wisconsin State Biathalon Association...which actually turned out to be about 6 people from the Milwaukee area. The cost of the actual range was about $30,000...the rest was spent on trail construction which is of course used by the other cross country skiers. I have yet to actually see any Biathaloners using it; in other words, anyone I've seen on those trails sure as HELL wasn't slinging an Olympic style 22 across their backs. So, in my view, it was a great way to spend the range facilities money to create several more miles of cross country ski trails that have little if anything to do with the shooting sports. Just one example of what they are doing to close us down, and use TAXPAYERS money to support a few bored skiers hobby. They also claim that there is a noise issue...no where in Wisconsin state law have I or my attornies been able to find statute supporting this as an actionable reason to restrict activities there?!
Sorry to have gone on this long, and I hope some out there are still reading this. What I am asking is this: If you are in the area, have ever used the facility, or for that matter if you just want to jump in and help us out (regardless of WHERE you reside), please call the following numbers and let these people know that you will not tolerate this atack on the rights of the majority of people that use this recreational area. Although the following sounds a little self serving, please understand that I feel the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Taxpayers money has been used in a manner thoroughly inconsistant with the original intent of the fouders of the facility. These people are elitist jerks, and the vast majority want the facility to be a cross country ski retreat. Bugger that!
So please, again, if you feel at all used, offended, or just concerned with the loss of a really nice place, open to all comers, CALL THESE PEOPLE, and let them know of your disgust at the use of tax monies from the people of the great state of Wisconsin for such an endeavor. Leave a message if they don't answere (and I'm assuming they will quite answering their phones in short order), and ask for a written reply as to their stance on this issue. If you feel inclined, E-Mail the People at the Wisconsin DNR as well.
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/
DNR District Director: Gloria McCutcheon: 1-414-263-8510
DNR Superintendant in Eagle: Paul Sandgren: 1-262-594-6204
(Sandgren is the one cheifly reponsible for this)
DNR Secretary: Matt Frank: 1-608-266-2121
Call Toll Free 1-888-WDNRINFo (1-888-936-7463). This is the general call center, and while they might claim they can't help you, just keep pushing until they connect you with someone who can.
I appreciate anything anyone does in reponse to this. If you are a Wisconsin state resident, YOUR tax dollars are being hijacked to support the interests of a small group. If you consider yourself a supporter of the shooting sports, then this loss affects ALL OF US across the country as the slow erosion of venues dooms us to non-existance eventually. If you made it to the end of this diatribe...I personally appreciate it, even if you DON'T feel inclined to do anything, at least you heard me out.
There are a bunch of great people on this forum as has been evidenced to me over the years, and I know my plea's will not fall on deaf ears. Thank you all for your time and patience, and remember, we here in this area are at a crossroads in US history...one that is branching out across the country at a sickening rate. Here today, gone tomorrow, or perhaps more simply put, this happens here today, and it might well happen in your area soon. Best Regards,
Bill DeVos II (1KYDSTR)
One of my part time jobs for the last 5 years has been running the 300 yard rifle range at McMiller on weekends. This is a public range that has been in existance now since 1970 that is as varied as any range I have encountered living in the midwest lo these 45 years. Sporting Clays course, pistol range, 100 yard rifle, 50 yard rifle, 7 machine amateur trap and skeet, and the aforementioned 300 yarder...one of the only in the area.
The range land was donated by the McMiller family to the Wisconsin DNR with the understanding it would be a public range inperpetuity. This beautiful area is replete with hiking/horse trails and is in the Kettle Morraine state forest. Here to fore the Wi DNR has done good work to maintain the facility, and a series of private concerns have leased the facility as it is too expensive for the DNR to staff. The current lessor is Steve Williams, owner operator of Wern Valley Pheasants 4 miles away in Eagle Wisconsin.
The Range has flourished under his custodianship, and he has thus provided the ONLY public range available to those of us living in this general area for many years. $125/year membership, $22 to include ALL ranges per day. A fine alternative to the few private clubs that are in the area...and those are for the most part at capacity.
Now. for the corker. The current "leadership" within the local DNR has decided that it does not want the facility there anymore, as the local head of the DNR has a penchant for cross country skiing. I have NOTHING against these skiers. They have every right to enjoy the facility as we shooters do; however, not at the expense of a public shooting range. THOUSANDS of people use this range every year, but more or less the same 100 or so skiers are there off and on over the winter. There are myriad reasons why this becomes an elitist endeavor on the DNR's part, but time and space in this forum prevent me from fully expanding on why the needs of 100 or so skiers attempt to outweigh the needs of THOUSNADS of shooters in the 2 state area. As a brief synopsis, or perhaps an excellent example of why the DNR's custodianship has failed completely at this facility follows though in the next paragraph.
4 Years ago monies were earmarked for the further development of the facilty. The money was earmarked for the "range", not the property, i.e., the ski trails. As a way of circumventing this intended outlay of money, the local supervisor for the DNR decided that a Biathalon range was needed. $250,000 was spent to construct trails and the small range needed for competetive shooting. This was done in conjunction with the Wisconsin State Biathalon Association...which actually turned out to be about 6 people from the Milwaukee area. The cost of the actual range was about $30,000...the rest was spent on trail construction which is of course used by the other cross country skiers. I have yet to actually see any Biathaloners using it; in other words, anyone I've seen on those trails sure as HELL wasn't slinging an Olympic style 22 across their backs. So, in my view, it was a great way to spend the range facilities money to create several more miles of cross country ski trails that have little if anything to do with the shooting sports. Just one example of what they are doing to close us down, and use TAXPAYERS money to support a few bored skiers hobby. They also claim that there is a noise issue...no where in Wisconsin state law have I or my attornies been able to find statute supporting this as an actionable reason to restrict activities there?!
Sorry to have gone on this long, and I hope some out there are still reading this. What I am asking is this: If you are in the area, have ever used the facility, or for that matter if you just want to jump in and help us out (regardless of WHERE you reside), please call the following numbers and let these people know that you will not tolerate this atack on the rights of the majority of people that use this recreational area. Although the following sounds a little self serving, please understand that I feel the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Taxpayers money has been used in a manner thoroughly inconsistant with the original intent of the fouders of the facility. These people are elitist jerks, and the vast majority want the facility to be a cross country ski retreat. Bugger that!
So please, again, if you feel at all used, offended, or just concerned with the loss of a really nice place, open to all comers, CALL THESE PEOPLE, and let them know of your disgust at the use of tax monies from the people of the great state of Wisconsin for such an endeavor. Leave a message if they don't answere (and I'm assuming they will quite answering their phones in short order), and ask for a written reply as to their stance on this issue. If you feel inclined, E-Mail the People at the Wisconsin DNR as well.
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/
DNR District Director: Gloria McCutcheon: 1-414-263-8510
DNR Superintendant in Eagle: Paul Sandgren: 1-262-594-6204
(Sandgren is the one cheifly reponsible for this)
DNR Secretary: Matt Frank: 1-608-266-2121
Call Toll Free 1-888-WDNRINFo (1-888-936-7463). This is the general call center, and while they might claim they can't help you, just keep pushing until they connect you with someone who can.
I appreciate anything anyone does in reponse to this. If you are a Wisconsin state resident, YOUR tax dollars are being hijacked to support the interests of a small group. If you consider yourself a supporter of the shooting sports, then this loss affects ALL OF US across the country as the slow erosion of venues dooms us to non-existance eventually. If you made it to the end of this diatribe...I personally appreciate it, even if you DON'T feel inclined to do anything, at least you heard me out.
There are a bunch of great people on this forum as has been evidenced to me over the years, and I know my plea's will not fall on deaf ears. Thank you all for your time and patience, and remember, we here in this area are at a crossroads in US history...one that is branching out across the country at a sickening rate. Here today, gone tomorrow, or perhaps more simply put, this happens here today, and it might well happen in your area soon. Best Regards,
Bill DeVos II (1KYDSTR)
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