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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNo Shooting Area RequestDeschutes County Board of Commissioners Work Session Discussion Item Request from private citizens to designate three County owned parcels as restricted firearms (no shooting) areas and annex into adjacent existing no shooting district • Three parcels in question are designated on the attached map. o A larger map and aerial shot of the area will be available at the work session. • Specific letters requesting the designation are attached following the map. o Staff has met with the citizens to define specifically their concerns. o Chiefs concerns are: • Stray shots reaching residences • Trespassing to retrieve game and/or access to county parcels • Noise from gunshots Background • This item is for discussion only. If the Board is inclined to see it move forward, then a public hearing will be scheduled at a later date. • Northernmost parcel is mostly submerged under the shifted course of the Deschutes River. o Real issue appears to pertain to land across the river within La Pine State Park. Park is bisected south -north by areas where shooting is prohibited and where it is allowed, respectively. o State Park representatives(s) will also attend the work session to address disposition of state land. • Middle parcel is now an island created by a new river channel. o The channel cuts across private Tots to the east, so the island is 90%+ county land with s small area of private land. • All parcels are only accessible by boat or by crossing private property. • Representatives from the central Oregon chapter of Ducks Unlimited have been contacted for their perspective and will attend the work session. o There is evidence that these areas have been used for hunting for many years. County Commissioners Deschutes County Dear Commissioners We have serious concerns about the legal hunting zone in the area across the Deschutes River from our home. I cannot walk on my own property along the rivers edge during waterfowl hunting season. There are people with guns on the other side of the river. The peace and serenity of our forest neighborhood ends before sunrise during hunting season. Recently an area north of us along the river was included in the no -shoot zone. That makes perfect sense for that area. The area directly across from us should be included also. Closing the area north of us will send more hunters in our direction and make an already bad situation worse. We are just south of mile #205 on the river. Please include this area in the no -shoot corrider. Thank you for your consideration Sincerely Bill and Camilla Emmons e, 2- f/,_/ .0",14/7.z6.,.:E e ca of W ai tie; , BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ADMINISTRATION Dennis Luke, Vice Chairperson Board of County Commissioners 1300 NW Wall St. Bend, Oregon 97701 Mr. and Mrs. Phillip J. Kolczynski 3737 South Stage Road Medford, Oregon 97501 s'1/ 2-40/- ¥2 - RE: Our home at 54647 Silver Fox Drive, Bend Oregon The legal description of our property is 211003A00190, DRRHUnit 6, 1ot37+pt.36 Dear Commissioner: I have been planning on contacting in the Commissioners to protest the shooting that is permitted from the area, across the Deschutes River, directly towards our house. A recent article in The Bend Bulletin, discusses expanding the No -Shooting Zone further down river. This greatly concerns us because unless you include us in the No -Shooting Zone, we will have our current situation aggravated. More hunters will almost certainly come up river to use the shooting zone directly facing our property. Our house is at 54647 Silver Fox Drive and abuts the Deschutes River. Directly across the river from the back of our house is a legal shooting zone. Apparently this is a small strip of county land on the river. It is sandwiched between the La Pine state park on the North and the Deschutes River on the South. The river runs approximately east -west in the shooting zone. We are on the south side of the river such that when the hunters on the north side shoot at waterfowl, they necessarily shoot towards our house. I like to walk on my property along the river year-round but I can't use my property starting in the fall without the risk of getting shot. Once when walking in the moming before I knew hunters were hiding across the river waiting to ambush ducks, they shot where I was walking. The pellets hit the bushes near me. I yelled at them. I got a lecture about how they were in a legal hunting/shooting zone. They couldn't have been more than 50 yards from me when 1 was walking on any property. I do not know exactly how many feet it is from where they shoot to our back deck, but it is too dose. Our neighbors, Roger and Nadine Ruth, have reported pellets hitting their house and ours. We are right next door and the same distance from the river as they are. A small projectile recently shattered our metal light fixture on the back deck. I cannot find the bullet to prove it was the hunters, but I have saved the pieces of the fixture; from the point of impact it looks like it was struck by a bullet. I can't believe that the county and La Pine State Park allow a shooting zone that puts us in the sights of the hunters. I am not exaggerating - come look at the site. I have entered the park and examined the hunting site from the county land. (It is easy to find from all the spent shell casings littering the shoreline). The hunters always position themselves facing the river, in order to shoot ducks as they fly over the water or fly over our property. The hunters frequently place decoys in the river to attract the ducks. They never shoot north into the Park, they always shoot south towards our house. There are signs marking the shooting zone. Interestingly, the signs could have been placed around the bend further up river, where there • Page 2 April 20, 2009 are no houses directly across the river. In that location the river flows north -south, such that any shooting would be down river and not towards homes. We bought this house two years ago but the house was on this site since 1989. I do not know when the shooting zone was approved. I question the legality of the county and the state park continuing to allow shooting onto private, property towards homes, when it is now on NOTICE, that we are being endangered by the hunters. We request that you include our neighborhood as a no -shooting zone along with the area between Mile 202 & 203. If it makes sense for that neighborhood, it should make sense for ours. I am recently retired and split my time between our home in Medford and our home at 54647 Silver Fox Drive. We do not receive mail at 54647 Silver Fox. We can be reached at our Medford address or by cell phone during normal hours at 541 261 4222. Very Truly Yours, Phillip and Kathleen Kolczynski Cc: Tammy Baney, Alan Unger DI1ECEn9 APR 2 32009 vE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ADMINISTRATION Roger & Natfffie Ruth 54641 Silver Fox Drive Bend Oregon April 20, 2009 Dennis Luke, Vice Chairperson Board of County Commissioners Dear Commissioner. An article in the Bend Bulletin regarding the expanded No -Shooting zone has prompted me to contact you regarding our concerns about how this will affect my immediate neighbors and me. 1 live on the Deschutes River. Directly across the river from my house is a legal shooting zone. 1 have seamed from the County Commissioner's legal assistance office that this small area is owned by the county. I watch and hear the hunters all during water fowl hunting season. During this last season I called the Sheriffs department five times. This is the number of times that I heard or felt their shot gun pellets land on my deck, rattle against my windows or rain down from my roof. On one occasion I called across the river to say that their pellets were hitting my house. The response was to send more buck shot my way. Expanding the no -shooting zone in the area between Mile 202 & 203 makes sense for that neighborhood, however it will have a serious impact on my neighbors and me, as it will bring more hunters to use the area across the river from our homes. Although the sound of shot gun blasts a half hour before sunrise is quite annoying, I realize this hunting zone existed before our homes were built. The most serious impact of having the hunters so dose is that pellets rain down on our home and yard. Our property ends at the rivers edge. During hunting season I am unable to even walk out to the river on my own property because there are people with guns directly across the river. We feel this is a significant health and safety issue. I am asking that you declare the small county owned area a No shooting zone also. This area is adjacent to existing no -shooting zones and La Pine State Park. 1 have enclosed a copy of the county's no -shooting district map and indicated my lot on the map. I would like to attend one of your business meetings where you allow citizen input. I would appreciate any suggestions as to how I should proceed from here as 1 do not know the protocol. The legal description of my property is Deschutes River Rec 70 35+PT.36 Sincerely, ti Nadine Ruth Phone (541) 536-7591 Email Nadine and replay Goy yahoo.com Fax (847) 953-2382 Cc: Alan Unger, Tammy Baney rAPR 2,-)12 20099 E D BOA. OF COMMISSIONERS i`: S.TRAT ON Cu (--)W u,D ‘-ku r DISCH GE OF FIRER S RESTRICTED AREAS DESCHUTES RIVER CORRIDOR DesNi„l Goura)'.lawazd37esd11dosNabsllatPwea PM 918124t use'uf5feamlaabr9segmmltaof+h3[EL..g ea Tod 84,ms ontldsmaPasa.1lqStpoS?9by0�Y nremm 02099lbAed9nno gareasece2 byatleaxoif 1 :111eoi" atY seLB. ?�+a`± Ha«Pro4905 tiaders u!aYno`stpot (xaamRlM3ejaapegivRlmrvO et4o5ngareas:. t&1sl40Gg a9easblBlld0U90badsar108101 4OTthe DesclwRes Files. iaieMOaldda 8o P.M. i50yardsottlx tie Shot 2* 105 alodsof89,1,212 mtd2301ideose996 a3d§i 681 840 09 40909 0903.. di4ricl,: NO shootuN aeasare rlo908d kill ' ,n onii0dls de09f tlla 1148'. 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O. 9145.0 5055 RNrmW 34 0 121'5321021943'9225.2919 22mart3c 295.00 1229,'43.2711 454113.42, P.nlnmb - 13195`349 42122 4419 6.525,t.4.F.1.-5/ R52 H...5–. ^_Y 51 12150555 21V, 41...14119 72,4 2 210 t So-tn R1:d-r) 29.. ;2,01 131,205 29.,, 42.315;01: Ile 187 Legend ▪ BRIDGE + RIVER MILE MARKER J RIVER —`. NO SHOOTING AREA NO SHOOTING AREA . FEDERAL LAND [7 1 RESTRICTED SHOOTING CORRIDOR RESTRICTED SHOOTING CORRIDOR EA LA PINE STATE P291( LA PINE STATE PARK RESTRICTED FIREARMS AREA US FOREST SERVICE Cl BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT F.71 SUNRNER RESORT' j "0:212ive1 Resod -check Resod CCRs and 0038 and Federal regulations for firearm discharge restrictions. 'Areas shown In write are Not County er USFS enforced restricted areas. Check subdivision CCRa far any firearms reeldclbns. 0900691 OZ 2007 NAC9stomIGountyIBOCC1NoShoodng2007 noshoolareas.mxd . >Y of RS�NU QCd .)8.jo y .: 4 V v r1) a0 ›oma �'mR^� m .� _ �, rn be.v I �'UV �� g'O�0m .0i.1 ,-+ Wi.- - > m s. n -: �=o�o.1oa)Y��ar Om �TO a) 1t4 ..`-'., w p '•- -=-� V . ae .., '8 O .0 sem, ' - " . T.,,.f ` •-+ 'O sz., s. 0 . te O _' * crs .Tri O rq w,. 0 aCl7 C"-.' t O U C3 F. 0' .,t o.. i-+ N OA. S/) V-+ a) ..a) �'' ^. a) . N 84. cu:E.,L , 04j vroa)2Vw .'zsIt- kg. t:m .oaq�rat,... O'a.;to nrQ E ° a) a, .oa:..� am o a ai� u �'ia bb teai=��"'� � a)�1' ,--"..a 4,' m cs ti; -466.' au F— R. of cd, °) a) " y � Dennis Luke, Vice Chairperson Deschutes County Commissioners Bend, Oregon Dear Mr. Luke My husband, David Hayhurst, and I have owned our home south of Sunriver for eighteen years. In the early years there were few hunters, few homes and fewer recreational users of the area. Time has exponentially altered the situation and made some definition of appropriate uses for appropriate locations a necessity. Several years ago the neighborhoods down river from the park voted themselves Non -Shooting areas and joined in the River Corridor Plan. At the time the government agencies that share these property lines assured us that the county regulations would be honored and adjacent areas of state and federal property would closed where they abutted the newly closed lands. Slowly through the years, that has happened. The State Park closed the area south of their Powerline Road, the Federal Lands have been closed in most areas. The zone was determined to include the river as it runs between these lands. With few maps and surveying done years ago, it was assumed that the three small areas, now designated county property and surrounded by Deschutes River Recreational Properties, Unit Six, were park property, divided by straight lot and section lines occasionally breeched by river meander. It was not until after the No Shooting Area was founded that the three small properties were determined county land. They are totally surrounded by the No Shooting Zone and would have been included as such according to the information the county gave us at the time the zone was plotted, had they not been thought to be included in the State Park area, already deemed by them to be No Shooting. There has been increased use of these areas and any use is dangerous. The properties are to small to allow any likelihood of a bird shot from the plot, landing on it. Shooting from any of these areas means shooting into private property or into the park trail system. Homeowners are nearly forced to stay in the house and keep their animals in as well. Shot falls on roofs and windows. The hikers and riders on the trails are unlikely to surmise that shooting of any kind is allowed. It does not present a logical expectation. The size and location of the areas makes them an attractive nuisance. Each is accessible only by river or ingress through private property. Virtually all is posted as No Trespassing. These signs are ignored or vandalized regularly. Additionally, hunters and their dogs have no legal access to the surrounding areas to retrieve downed fowl, which they must by law do. To legally get their birds they must contact either an owner or contact a State Trooper to enter the posted properties. The county lots in the area are too small to reasonably expect a downed bird to land anywhere but the river or private land on the other side of the river. The situation encourages the hunters to violate both the law and endanger homes and homeowners and their pets. We cannot stand in our yards and shoot into the county lands, but they may shoot at us. Walking out to explain to someone that they are illegally on your land is not a happy event when the trespasser is armed. And I have twice been run off my own yard by hunter's dogs. The years have changed the nature of this area. It is far more residential: the park trails completed, close to the river and more used. These three very small areas seem out of character today. We ask you to honor the intent of the No Shooting area we established and close these small areas to conform with the areas surrounding them. Thank you for your consideration, Jane Bidwell 54611 Silver Fox Drive (DRRH Unit 6, lots 26-28) Bend, OR 97707 53� cc: Tammy Blaney, Alan Unger 4mro;i hayE,irSe-@ iteltpart, corvi BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ADMINISTRATION Jane Bidwell Notes from telecon 5/13/09 with Tim Berg Jane Bidwell and her husband David Hayhurst would like the Board to annex the three adjacent, county owned properties to the existing no shooting district. In addition to the lot on which their home is situated, they own the three lots north and three lots south of their home. Items for consideration: 1) At the time the existing district was formed in 2002, residents were told by La Pine State Park that the property currently shown as "county owned" was owned by the La Pine State Park, or they would have included the county owned property in the original proposed boundary for the restricted firearms district. 2) The dividing line for the restricted and unrestricted firearms areas in La Pine State Park is Power Line Road, which is further north than our map reflects. There should be a correction to our maps to reflect this, which will add additional restricted area in La Pine State Park. 3) Trespassing issues: ■ To access county owned lot 2110030000800 (located between mile marker 205 & 206, hunters are pulling their boats onto Bidwell/Hayhurst property and walking through their property to get to the county property to shoot. • To access county owned lot 2110030000700 (located at mile marker 205), hunters are pulling their boats onto Bidwell/Hayhurst property, and walking north through Bidwell/Hayhurst, Ruth, Kolcynski, and Emmons properties, using planks they have placed as bridges to cross canals. ■ There is no place for hunters to legally field their ducks without trespassing on private property. Consequently they are trespassing on private property to do so. • Hunters have torn down the "No Trespassing" signs posted by owners. • Hunters ignore the verbal requests of the owners to not trespass and owners are intimidated and frightened as hunters continue to shoot at their properties. Shot gun casings repel off their roof tops and the casings remain as debris throughout the area for the property owners to clean up, along with other debris (i.e. bottles, cans, food, paper). 4) Safety is seriously threatened by hunters shooting at houses and through the park and trail system where people are hiking, camping and horseback riding. 5) Since the county owned land is bordered by restricted land on one side of the river and unrestricted land on the other side (the two lots noted above), hunters are free to shoot along the river path at those lots. DCB Deschutes County Restricted Shooting Areas x River Mile A County Owned Property Restricted Shooting Areas Le Pine State Park Restricted FireamutArea Subdivision! Deschutes River Corridor Ell Federal Restricted Shooting Area V V o m :n m TO ,am 1111111111111111 Him'11111171 mumlam.` wwr„ �, '1,111111 r 111'x` J1►� �s�. 11111111111111 00*