There have been a number of news stories published this year regarding conflicts between various gun clubs or sport shooting ranges and abutting and nearby landowners over expansion of sport shooting and associated increasing noise complaints.
LD-1500, An Act To Protect and Promote Access to Sport Shooting Ranges, which is currently under review in committee, grants immunity from court or municipal oversight for all expansions of activity at sport shooting ranges. This bill puts the interests of Sport Shooting Ranges above the lives of ordinary people who have their homes within hearing range. The bill sidesteps the normal community processes by which issues are heard and conflicts resolved. Maine citizens have a long tradition of governing themselves and of resolving issues with local impact at a local level. The proposed bill goes against that fair and sensible tradition.
In contrast to the newly proposed law, the current law (Title 30-A, §3011. Regulation of sport shooting ranges), is well-balanced, protecting pre-existing uses of sport shooting ranges but explicitly allowing municipalities to regulate noise produced by an expansion of activity. Current law also quite sensibly and fairly allows for a nuisance action for noise against a sporting range if there has been a substantial change in use of the range after a person has acquired the property (TITLE 17 CHAPTER 91 SUBCHAPTER 3 §2806. Sport shooting ranges). The newly proposed bill would seek to eliminate these protections for homeowners, thus exposing homeowners to the risk of losing the use of their homes and the risk of significant decreases in property value.
If you live within earshot of a public shooting range and are concerned about escalating noise and safety issues, please attend a public hearing for LD 1500 “An Act To Protect and Promote Access to Sport Shooting Ranges,” which has been scheduled for Tuesday, Feb 23 2016 3:00PM, State House, 4thFloor, Room 438.
If LD 1500 passes, shooting ranges will lose any incentive to be a good neighbor, may expand at will and without any oversight, and we will see our own rights and legal protections erased.
Please contact your state Representatives and Sentors as well as the committee members and express your opposition to this unfair legislation.
Regards,
Mark Carver
Phippsburg
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