IT'S BACK!!!!!!! Thurston County No Shooting Zone Ordinance

[pianoman9701]

Done. Here's the letter:

Dear Sirs/Madams,
 
I hunt in your county, on the way to hunting, I buy breakfast. Then I buy ammunition. Usually, then I buy gasoline. I hunt. After hunting, I buy more food. I may stop for a nice dinner. If it's a Saturday, then I'll stay overnight at a motel to hunt the next day. If I need other sporting goods, I'll stop at Cabelas on the way home, and I almost always need sporting goods. If you push through your proposed shooting ordinance, I'll take my money and go to another county to spend it.
 
This is not a safety issue. There have been no safety concerns voiced by any state agency regarding waterfowl hunting in your county. To the contrary, the state police and the WDFW don't support this. I believe that this is an attempt to enforce gun control under a guise of safety concerns. If this is not a sham and safety is really a concern, then stop after school sports instead. A child is four times more likely to die playing football then he is hunting.
 
Thurston Co. has some of the best waterfowl hunting in the state. Your local businesses benefit form the resulting residual sales and your residents benefit from the increased tax base from the tourism benefit that hunting attracts. Pass this stupid ordinance and you'll lose tens thousands of dollars in tax revenue and untold tourism dollars. Is your budget so flush that your residents will gladly accept a loss of tax revenue? When I stop coming up to hunt, I will contact the businesses who've lost my business and let them know why and who's responsible.
 
I may not live in your county, but I spend a lot of money there, so I pay taxes. This ordinance makes no sense. It should be taken off the docket. I'll eagerly look forward to hearing the results of this.

Most Sincerely,
 
John W

[Special T]

Pman i fired off a slightly modified version of your letter and sent it to all the people in question.  Explaining how this hits people in the pocket book, and promising to tell Businesses in the area why you will not be spending $$$ with them should really hit home. If not the business will burry thier foot in people's  backside.

Nice letters

[pianoman9701]

Thanks. That's why your name starts with "Special". 

[huntrights]

Hot off the press:

Uploaded by terryknightproducer on Mar 22, 2012

OLYMPIA UNDERCOVER: Thurston County Sheriff John Snaza explains why his department doesn't support the proposed new anti-shooting ordinance, which has raised the ire of area sportsmen. Snaza says he and Fish & Wildlife agree the current law is adequate.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c03HI2E82cY

[Special T]

Straight from the horses mouth! THERE IS NO ISSUE! 

[pianoman9701]

 

[huntrights]

Important Update:

The meeting time for the Commissioner's briefing on the proposed changes to the Thurston County No Shooting Zone Ordinance has been changed to 2:00 - 3:00 PM.


The following is a very important meeting that all should try to attend.  We need to fill the room.  If you go, write on the sign-in register that you OPPOSE the No Shooting Zone Ordinance.  The public will NOT be able to speak at this meeting; you will only be able to observe.  Our presence is extremely important.  The Commissioners will be given a briefing by Cliff Moore from the Thurston County Resource Stewardship Department on what they are now calling the “Controlled Shooting Zone”.  The Commissioners will decide at that time what their next step will be.

Thursday, April 5, 2012; 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Thurston County Courthouse, Building One, Room 280
2000 Lakeridge Drive SW, Olympia, WA 98502-1045

Check their master schedule prior to make sure this briefing is still on the schedule; they have been known to change the schedule:

http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/bocc/docs/Master%20Schedule.pdf

Materials for the Controlled Shooting Zone briefing are posted on the county website at:

http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/resource/docs/shootingzones/Controlled-Shooting-Zone-Complete.pdf
 
 

[bobcat]

Published April 02, 2012
Ordinance would regulate firearms in urbanizing areas of county



Thurston County commissioners will be briefed Thursday on a proposed ordinance addressing controlled-shooting zones.
The ordinance would regulate the use of firearms in urbanizing areas of the county, which currently has 38 controlled shooting zones.
Senior planner Robert Smith said controversy over controlled-shooting zones dates back several years to when county residents contacted the commissioners about gun use near waterfront properties.
The commissioners held a public meeting on the topic in July 2009, followed by three more meetings in 2010 and 2011.
A citizen work group was created to draft an ordinance alongside county staffers.
Smith said that after the most recent public meeting, his office has received about 1,800 written and emailed public comments about the proposed ordinance.
“The correspondence we’ve received since – the emails and petitions – are greatly against it,” Smith said.
The ordinance would create the zones in areas where firing a gun would be a danger to people, animals or property, including the urban-growth areas of Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater and Grand Mound.
The zones would include areas from the ordinary water line to 300 yards offshore along marine shorelines and the southern sections of the Henderson and Eld inlets.
Commissioners will offer direction Thursday on how to proceed, Smith said.
“It’s up in the air,” he said. “They could direct us to go to a public hearing and consider the ordinance as it currently exists or tell us to go back and rewrite it or tell us to forget it.”
The briefing is set for 2 p.m. in Building One, Room 280 at the Thurston County Courthouse, 2000 Lakeridge Drive S.W., Olympia.
Chelsea Krotzer: 360-754-5476
ckrotzer@theolympian.com
theolympian.com/outsideoly
Twitter: @chelseakrotzer

Read more here: http://www.theolympian.com/2012/04/02/v-print/2053904/ordinance-would-regulate-firearms.html#storylink=cpy

[pianoman9701]

We need people to show up at this Thursday at 1 PM. All of you who oppose the Thurston County no shooting/no hunting ordinance proposal need to be there with green shirts on. Be civil, be under control, but be vocal in your opposition. Even if you don't live in Thurston, if this passes, your county is next. Believe it.

[bearpaw]

Just got this from the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance, this should help the cause, they have a huge mailing list and they are spellling out in easy terms who to contact and providing the phone number and email addresses:


Hearing Scheduled on Thurston County Hunting Ban

Proposal Would Eliminate Hunting Opportunities on Public and Private Lands

County Commissioners in Thurston County, Washington have proposed enacting strict, new, no shooting zones that would eliminate hunting on many public and private lands.
 
Among the regulations is a prohibition from hunting within 300 yards from shore in Puget Sound.  Waterfowlers have safely hunted these areas in Puget Sound for generations and the proposed ordinance would arbitrarily eliminate much of this traditional hunting ground.
 
Those backing this anti-hunting proposal are claiming that the ordinance is needed for public safety to protect people, pets, and property.   However, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife have testified before the Commissioners stating that there have been absolutely zero substantiated hunting accidents on Puget Sound.  In addition, current state laws already ensure that hunting is done safely.
 
Sportsmen are encouraged to attend a County Commissioners meeting on Thursday, April 5, 2012 starting at 1:00 p.m. where they will be discussing the ordinance.  The meeting will be held at the Thurston County Courthouse, Building One, in Room 280.  The Courthouse is located at 2000 Lakeridge Drive SW in Olympia.
 
“The supporters of this ordinance have absolutely no data to support their claims that hunting is unsafe and are simply seeking to take away hunting opportunities,” said Jeremy Rine, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance in-house counsel and associate director of state services.  “Washington sportsmen should contact the Thurston County Commissioners and ask them to vote down the ordinance.  If passed, it could be used by anti-hunters in other counties to persuade their commissioners to pass similar hunting bans.”
 
Take Action!  Washington sportsmen should contact the Commissioners at (360) 786-5440 or by email and ask them to oppose the ordinance.
 
Thurston County Commissioners
Commissioner Sandra Romero - romeros@co.thurston.wa.us
Commissioner Cathy Wolfe - wolfec@co.thurston.wa.us
Commissioner Karen Valenzuela - valenzk@co.thurston.wa.us

U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance
801 Kingsmill Parkway
Columbus, Ohio 43229
614-888-4868
www.ussportsmen.org
info@ussportsmen.org

[bearpaw]

If they pass this we should try for legislation to repeal this and prevent it from happening again.

[pianoman9701]

If they pass this we should try for legislation to repeal this and prevent it from happening again.

One of the discussions at the Cabela's meeting was that in one way, them adopting the ordinance might be good because it would give the average Joe a reason to push his legislator for a hunting rights amendment to the state constitution to stop further restrictions.

[huntrights]

If they pass this we should try for legislation to repeal this and prevent it from happening again.

I believe there will be a push in this direction no matter what.  If legislation isn't in place to prevent these abuses, we will see the same thing pop up again in the same county or another county.  That's why all of the hunters, shooters, and freedom loving people in this state need to understand it is NOT just a local issue.  We all need to help to defeat the proposed Thurston County No Shooting Zone Ordinance, then we need to set our sights on taking back the freedoms that were taken from us in other parts of the state.  Apathy and complacency will not preserve the freedoms we cherish; unfortunately, there are a lot of people like the Thurston County Commissioners that want to take those freedoms from us, so we must be ready to defend those freedoms and to be proactive.

This leads nicely into my next post.

[huntrights]

This is the briefing meeting mentioned in earlier posts.  The room will not hold all of people who plan on attending, so there will also be an opposition rally outside.  It is very important that there is a very big showing for this event.  Show up early if you want to get a seat to observe the actual proceedings.

The following is a very important meeting that all should try to attend.  We need to fill the room.  If you go, write on the sign-in register that you OPPOSE the No Shooting Zone Ordinance.  The public will NOT be able to speak at this meeting; you will only be able to observe.  Our presence is extremely important.  The Commissioners will be given a briefing by Cliff Moore from the Thurston County Resource Stewardship Department on what they are now calling the “Controlled Shooting Zone”.  The Commissioners will decide at that time what their next step will be.

Thursday, April 5, 2012; 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Thurston County Courthouse, Building One, Room 280
2000 Lakeridge Drive SW, Olympia, WA 98502-1045

Check their master schedule prior to make sure this briefing is still on the schedule; they have been known to change the schedule:

http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/bocc/docs/Master%20Schedule.pdf

Materials for the Controlled Shooting Zone briefing are posted on the county website at:

http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/resource/docs/shootingzones/Controlled-Shooting-Zone-Complete.pdf

APRIL 5TH THURSTON COUNTY NO TO NO SHOOTING ORDINANCE RALLY
2:00 PM AT THE THURSTON COUNTY COURTHOUSE COMPLEX, BLDG. 1

RALLY DETAILS

To add emphasis to our solidarity please wear one or more of the following items: green shirt, green blouse, green jacket, or green hat.  Hopefully the crowd will overflow building capacity, so dress accordingly.

The rally will be held at the time and place noted above regardless of any changes in the meeting schedule instigated by the Thurston County Commissioners to disrupt our message and purpose.  Rally organizers will be on site by 1:00 PM.

Please be orderly and respectful of other citizens and property, but do feel free to provide effective background noise.

Please bring and use video cameras and still cameras to help document the event if you have them.

Parking will be an issue, so please carpool if possible and park at the Red Lion Inn which is a short walk from the rally site.  I believe the Red Lion Inn charges a $2.00 parking fee.

Please sign our register and pick up signs at the registration post which will be located at main front entrance of bldg. 1.

Please return the signs to the registration post at the end of the rally.  Exception:  Willing Thurston County residents may keep the signs to post in their front yards.

In the event you are approach by the media politely tell them you are protesting the unlawful no shooting ordinance and then direct them to Jon McAninch.  I will be stationed at the registration post and will answer their questions in a predetermined manner or direct them to some one else who can.

Expect to donate about two hours of your valuable time at the Rally to be effectual.  The Commissioners have by design picked this very inconvenient time for this meeting to minimize the possible attendance of those in opposition to their agenda.

We have made a difference!  The ONLY reason this ordinance was not enacted in October 2010 per the scheduled timeline goal of the Thurston County Commissioners is because of our opposition.  The three Thurston County Commissioners and Staff are realizing just how radioactive this issue is and are now in damage control mode (especially the two Commissioners standing for reelection).

We have now also gained "National" and "Statewide" attention in this matter, and every county and every politician in Washington State is aware and is watching how this ordinance pans out.  Due to the permit / fee / exemption clause incorporated into the Proposed Thurston County No Shooting Ordinance it has now transgressed into a possible source of revenue for these other counties.  So now the ordinance and the process not only attacks your Personal Property Rights, Second Amendment Rights, State Constitution Article 24 Rights, Right of Due Process, Right to Public Waters and Lands, shooting privileges, hunting privileges, etc. it shall now also attack the wallets of every gun owner, shooter, and hunter in this state if it passes. 
 
We, (the key organizers of the opposition to this ordinance) are CONFIDENT “IF” enough people attend this rally this ordinance will be killed.  This shall make this issue untouchable, taboo, and radioactive for every other county and politician in our state and make OBTAINABLE our ultimate goals of hunting and fishing being recognized as a constitutional "RIGHT" in lieu of a privilege, forcing the retraction of already existing like ordinances in other counties and saving tens of thousands of dollars in litigation costs.
 

THIS IS NOT JUST A THURSTON COUNTY ISSUE
THIS IS NOT JUST A WATERFOWL HUNTING ISSUE

There are now many State and National organizations and political allies that have joined in coalition to support the efforts to: defeat this ordinance, retract existing like ordinances, and establish a constitutional right to hunt and fish, hence provide a firewall against these types of issues in the future.  Do not squander this opportunity!  Do whatever is necessary to make this RALLY work as intended.  Bring your friends and families and make your investment in your future and freedom.
 
Please forward this to whoever you deem appropriate and if you have any questions please feel free to contact cedarvillefarms@aol.com
 
Thank you

[Dave Workman]

Sportsmen squaring off against proposed Thurston County hunting ban
 
   Evergreen State gun owners and particularly waterfowl hunters are bracing for action Thursday when the Thurston County Commission gathers at 1 p.m. to discuss a proposed ordinance that would effectively eliminate waterfowl hunting along much of the county’s shoreline.
 
 
http://www.examiner.com/gun-rights-in-seattle/sportsmen-squaring-off-against-proposed-thurston-county-shooting-measure