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County board supports public U.P. shooting range

CORKIN

MARQUETTE — The Marquette County Board recently expressed its support for a public shooting range to be built in the central Upper Peninsula, which, if completed, would be the first of its kind north of the Mackinac Bridge.

Board Chairman Gerald Corkin said the publicly owned range would be a “great addition” to the county and the U.P.

“There aren’t any in the U.P., and we have a lot of hunters and people that like target practice in the U.P., so it’s something that would be very appropriate,” Corkin said.

Commissioner Bill Nordeen was absent from the July 18 meeting, but the rest of the board unanimously approved support of the effort made by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

There are 12 public DNR-designated ranges in the state, but officials said there aren’t any in the U.P., a region popular for hunters and outdoors enthusiasts.

Haughey

DNR U.P. Regional Coordinator Stacy Haughey said in recent years people have been creating their own target practice ranges, sometimes on privately owned property.

“We have areas in Marquette County that are seeing extremely high usage, including several sites … in Sands Township,” Haughey said. “We have multiple reports of trash dumping, of unsafe shooting practices; complaints that have spanned decades but have become more frequent in the last several years.”

Haughey said the DNR has examined more than 12 sites for the U.P. range, looking primarily at state-owned land, and have narrowed the list down to a few possible locations, including a gravel pit owned by the Marquette County Road Commission along County Road 480.

“We appreciate their partnership in this process and working with us on a possible land exchange that may work,” Haughey said.

People within the department have discussed the possibility of a public shooting range in the U.P. since the early 1990s, Haughey said. The effort included a public forum held in January at the Sands Township Hall where community members provided input on potential locations and other specifics they’d like to see at the facility.

The shooting range, based on bid estimates for a similar proposal in Grand Traverse County, could cost about $800,000.

DNR officials said they are seeking a development grant through the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund, which has an Oct. 1 application deadline.

Dan Lord, statewide facilities coordinator for the DNR, said officials will choose a final site by that deadline. He also said details of the range are still being determined, but that local input will “guide some of the process.”

“I think up here in Marquette we’re very conscious of historical use, where people have always gone to shoot,” Lord said. “And we try to look at that within context of our own ownership and footprint, which leads to some other opportunities like the county road commission land … because when we make the investment, at the end of the day we want it to be used. We don’t want to put it somewhere where people are going to have to drive a great distance to actually find it.”

Lord said the DNR when looking at sites considers sound mitigation, adjacent land use, access and environmental impacts, among other criteria.

Officials weren’t sure yet whether the shooting range, if completed, will be staffed by state employees, but Lord said the publicly owned facility would allow for state enforcement, whereas enforcement by DNR personnel is much more difficult on private land.

“I think the biggest thing for us is it becomes a designated use because then our officers can enforce hours, they can enforce the types of firearms that are used at those locations,” he said. “It’s kind of a ‘we’re going to wait and see’ kind of approach to see if the staffing is needed. I personally hope it becomes so popular that we do have to have a range officer involved.”

Out of the 12 DNR-designated range facilities, Lord said about half have onsite employees.

Haughey, citing Marquette County Clerk’s Office records, said between July 2011 and July 2016, there were nearly 5,000 active concealed pistol licenses.

Haughey said Northern Michigan University Public Safety officers also told her there’s an average of 400 firearms registered on campus, along with 50 to 70 bows.

“They definitely support some type of public facility to send those students to,” she added.

The range could be used for hunters safety courses, or training of other sorts, though no decisions have been made yet, officials said.

Responding to a comment about the shooting range near the DNR’s Marquette office and the Marquette Branch Prison, Haughey said the location wouldn’t meet her agency’s criteria.

Marquette County Sheriff Greg Zyburt agreed, saying location is a key factor in the process of establishing a public range.

“It can’t be in people’s backyard where they’re going to hear shooting and they’re going to be complaining, but there’s definitely a need,” he said. “I can’t tell you how many times over the years I get complaints of the trash that’s left and the … damage that they do by going on private property and shooting. So there’s absolutely a need, but it’s all location.”

DNR officials said once a location is selected, more public input will be sought regarding the facility’s design and other specifics.

Ryan Jarvi can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 270. His email address is rjarvi@miningjournal.net.

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