El Dorado County Says It Can't Stop Tribe's Plans To Build Outdoor Gun Range Near Schools
SHINGLE SPRINGS (CBS13) — People living in Shingle Springs are taking aim against a gun range planned near an elementary school, but the county may not be able to do a thing about it.
The outdoor range would be built along Highway 50 near Shingle Springs Drive on property owned by the Miwok indian tribe. Residents say that location would be too close to homes, schools and everyday life.
It's quiet in an open field lined with trees in Shingle Springs, but some worry a proposed outdoor gun range could shatter country peace and quiet with gunfire.
"This isn't about gun rights, we fully support gun rights, we fully support the idea of a gun range," said California Montessori Project parent Damon Tribble.
The K-8 school is close to the range the Shingle Springs band of Miwok indians want to build.
"When you've got 1,000 children playing between these two schools, I think that is a big concern," he said.
The plan is to have an outdoor range with up to 29 lanes for shooters.
El Dorado County Supervisor Brian Veercamp says he's had calls on both sides of the issue, but despite complaints, there's nothing the county can do to stop the tribe from building a range at that location.
"My understanding is it's federally trust land, through their protections of that, they pretty much have the right to do anything they want on their land," he said.
He says they have to rely on the tribe being good neighbors, and doing their part to best keep the range safe.
Miwok lawyer AmyAnn Taylor says they will do that with 15-foot-tall berms to keep gunfire confined.
"We've also designed baffling that would be over it that would catch any errant bullets. And the targeting system is designed to entrap the bullets and doesn't even let it break apart," she said.
An acoustic consultant will also help try to minimize the sound of gunfire in the area.
Parents say even with that, they're still not concerned.
"Even when they dig it down, even if they put up baffles, our children will still be playing to the sound of gunfire," Tribble said.
