Got this email from Glennon Gingo this afternoon.  He was a prime supporter and mover behind getting the Big Island public shooting range.  This was sent to the group supporting the original range plan.

Of course the liberals and wealthy mainland owners of the Waikoloa resorts managed to get that killed.

Now the DLNR is considering making the two informal ranges into proper (of what nature?) ranges.  Manuka and Mile marker 16 near Hilo.

I cannot afford to fly over to Oahu for a 0930 meeting.

If any of you guys on the island can attend and support, I am sure we on the BI without any sort of range would deeply appreciate it.


‎Aloha All

Thanks for your steadfast support over the years for a shooting range facility.

I'm excited to inform you that we are now in a very positive position in realizing our goal of having a designated shooting venue on the Big Island.

I'm inviting you to participate in a meeting that represents the first major step in having a place for a shooting range on the Big Island. This meeting is the regular meeting of the Board of Land and Natural Resources and includes on the agenda a range designation for a site on the Big Island.

The location for the range designation is at Mile Marker 16 on Saddle Road and discussion also includes another area under consideration as well. A video presentation including aerial perspectives will be presented along with DLNR support for the designation. The meeting is being held Friday, February 23, 2018 at 9:30 am at the Kalanimoku Bldg, Conf Rm 132, 1151 Punchbowl St, Honolulu. (click on the link below for the agenda)

I'm requesting that all of our testimony be presented in a supportive and positive manner.
If you have any questions specific to this designation, please call me, Glennon Gingo, at 808-960-9348.

Testimony should focus on these important points:
1) We do not have a designated, legal firearm shooting venue on the Big Island.

2) The growth of shooting sports for recreation and competition has continued to
grow and the trend will continue especially among youth and women.

3) Designating an area is the first step toward community involvement to
raise money and provide instruction and safety programs for firearm use for
both hunting and recreational shooting activities.

If we can stick to these points and gain this designation it will represent a
milestone that we have all worked toward for many years.

We have a huge list of supporters and will send this out to them and
ask for their support. This list includes folks that work with youth
shooting sports programs as well as FNRA supporters, hunters, class
participants and recreational shooting sports participants.

Thanks again for your continued support.

link to BNLR Meeting Agenda

http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001t3P1hCMw9tjCza4Q99LN7ppd4LuLnpnBKBlFlQJZ0JObbsaMHwnxGmslNbHKh-5do9bi_ByAXHHjq-g_1VIDbEzEkAAlJ-qoxkVTsJ6YD6qW0xrLpK1oGOn5Eb2uFat_a6uZDRaL5DVdU2ectg-mYygDIgtxB6CSPNW1dzj3pE_VOUrzMfIEnNXTR5OxJOsBWshK6JMnBwtAcDjxodhArw==&c=0o5LnIpyOE68u9hF_Y-wwi9favOf8dqCcxZPrFUViU7ZVR3vpq9TmQ==&ch=cQx2NnL9SkKSn3fxRVb1jNcqxgj-WIt40XJ8V2F08RcHBXaT49ADEQ==

Glennon T. Gingo
President - On Target, Inc.
On Target, Inc
PO Box 1556
Hilo, HI 96721

This is going to sound really hard.
I don't trust the government or BI  DLNR.
They rape little girls, and don't enforce
wildlife refuge rules.
Privately I'll tell you where to go to sight
in your rifle.
Hunting was so bad this year I'm pretty
sure we shut it down,

Thanks.

Send your testimony to blnr.testimony@hawaii.gov by 2/22.  they have to receive it 24 hours prior to the meeting.

This is the subject that will be discussed:
https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/B-1.pdf


This appears to be the location of the range
https://goo.gl/maps/w47K1vHSgi22

Thanks.

Send your testimony to blnr.testimony@hawaii.gov by 2/22.  they have to receive it 24 hours prior to the meeting.

This is the subject that will be discussed:
https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/B-1.pdf


This appears to be the location of the range
https://goo.gl/maps/w47K1vHSgi22

let's all comment- say it will increase tourism to the BI if they build a range!

I'll be at the meeting on Friday.  Does anyone from the Big Island have any points you want me to bring up in testimony?

Dunno if it is the right thing for this meeting, but the state legislature letting the bill to create a formal range just die created the need for DLNR to create something for legal and safe shooting areas.  Major point being the largest island has nothing, and the government refused to proceed with a perfectly valid bill to amend this.

Got a reply from blnr testimony confirming my letter was received.  Nice they bother to let you know it did not go into a black hole.

I'll be at the meeting on Friday.  Does anyone from the Big Island have any points you want me to bring up in testimony?

Thanks for going. 

As I wrote in my testimony, having a public range will direct people (who are already going out and shooting) to a safe place.  We dont want them out in random places shooting trees.    It allows easier clean up and we should be able to get volunteers together to help maintain the area. 

Also, there is money through the NRA and the federal Pittman-Robertson Act to assist in any development costs for a range. 

I'll add these to my testimony.  I've talked to the DLNR before and they are constantly using the PR funds for multiple projects every year.  Recent projects were the BI Skeet and Trap range, Maui something or another, and Kauai and Waikaloa range planning.

I'm sorry, I got called into work tomorrow morning so I'll probably miss the hearing.  I'm submitting testimony and I'm going to try and get a copy of the presentation slides.

MM16 is the main focus right now.  It is the location posted above.  This proposal is for direct support of the hunter safety program and not a general public shooting range.  DOCARE Chief, Deputy Chief, head of hunter safety program in full support, pushing hard.  DLNR board is supportive in the majority.  Most concern and questions are in regards to range safety, range design, backstop, trailhead ingress overlapping area, implementation, maintenance, etc., all issues expressed by one member of the board.  DOCARE asked by the board, and Chief confirmed that shooters would be required to have a valid hunting license in order to be legal to shoot there.  This sounds like a first step process, but no guarantee.  Overall it seemed positive, and I would expect support from the DLNR but these are not the only challenges, and things can change.  There is much more to this, but I chose not to discuss here.

Not sure about that last sentence...

BLNR approves ‘Morita Camp’ on Saddle Road as shooting range

By Hawaii Tribune-Herald | Saturday, February 24, 2018, 12:05 am

The state Board of Land and Natural Resources voted Friday to approve an area of land on Hawaii Island as a public shooting range for the purpose of supporting the state’s hunter safety program.

The range will be located on 40 acres in the area known as “Morita Camp” at the 16-mile marker on Saddle Road.

It is a relatively remote yet accessible area and considered a favorable place for people to improve marksmanship and practice the safe and responsible use of firearms, said the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.

According to DLNR, the area has been used as an unofficial shooting range. An official range is needed because there are none on Hawaii Island, the department said.

Access to the area is permitted through a valid hunting license.

Not sure about that last sentence...

BLNR approves ‘Morita Camp’ on Saddle Road as shooting range

By Hawaii Tribune-Herald | Saturday, February 24, 2018, 12:05 am

The state Board of Land and Natural Resources voted Friday to approve an area of land on Hawaii Island as a public shooting range for the purpose of supporting the state’s hunter safety program.

The range will be located on 40 acres in the area known as “Morita Camp” at the 16-mile marker on Saddle Road.

It is a relatively remote yet accessible area and considered a favorable place for people to improve marksmanship and practice the safe and responsible use of firearms, said the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.

According to DLNR, the area has been used as an unofficial shooting range. An official range is needed because there are none on Hawaii Island, the department said.

Access to the area is permitted through a valid hunting license.

What this says to me that you will also need to fire only allowed firearms. And would the one gun only rule apply also? If true then concealed carry size weapons will not be allowed.

The big question I have is when will this actually open for business?

Not sure about that last sentence...

BLNR approves ‘Morita Camp’ on Saddle Road as shooting range

By Hawaii Tribune-Herald | Saturday, February 24, 2018, 12:05 am

The state Board of Land and Natural Resources voted Friday to approve an area of land on Hawaii Island as a public shooting range for the purpose of supporting the state’s hunter safety program.

The range will be located on 40 acres in the area known as “Morita Camp” at the 16-mile marker on Saddle Road.

It is a relatively remote yet accessible area and considered a favorable place for people to improve marksmanship and practice the safe and responsible use of firearms, said the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.

According to DLNR, the area has been used as an unofficial shooting range. An official range is needed because there are none on Hawaii Island, the department said.

Access to the area is permitted through a valid hunting license.

The absolute goal of the DLNR at this time is to solely look at this project as a direct support mechanism specifically in support of the Hunter Safety Education program.  It was the determination as of the meeting yesterday morning that it would be a requirement to possess a valid hunting permit and a valid hunting caliber in order to target practice.  Target practice is to ensure the ethical harvest of game animals via shooter proficiency and correct function/accuracy of firearms used for hunting purposes.  If anyone wishes to take this discussion elsewhere I will provide more info.

What this says to me that you will also need to fire only allowed firearms. And would the one gun only rule apply also? If true then concealed carry size weapons will not be allowed.

The big question I have is when will this actually open for business?

An official date was not set as of the meeting, however, it was clear that the board was in support, despite what seemed to be 1 individual detractor, who ultimately seemed to be supportive by the end of testimonies.  For more info, it might be best to discuss this elsewhere.

That's a bit disappointing.  I wonder if we arrange a cleanup of the area we would all need hunting licenses just to access and clean the area.  I really dont want to take a 4 hour class and pay for a license just to drive hour and a half to clean up a shooting area and haul the garbage to the dump. I dont even have a firearm.   I guess if people want to shoot who dont have licenses they will just continue to go out in random unsafe places. 

Boy this state really hates freedom.  At least it is a step.   

The absolute goal of the DLNR at this time is to solely look at this project as a direct support mechanism specifically in support of the Hunter Safety Education program.  It was the determination as of the meeting yesterday morning that it would be a requirement to possess a valid hunting permit and a valid hunting caliber in order to target practice.  Target practice is to ensure the ethical harvest of game animals via shooter proficiency and correct function/accuracy of firearms used for hunting purposes.  If anyone wishes to take this discussion elsewhere I will provide more info.
An official date was not set as of the meeting, however, it was clear that the board was in support, despite what seemed to be 1 individual detractor, who ultimately seemed to be supportive by the end of testimonies.  For more info, it might be best to discuss this elsewhere.

That is already the policy for that area. The occasional "inspections" by agents of the state would cite people unless they had hunting licenses and were using hunting-caliber-approved firearms. So what has changed?

I think you only need a hunting license if you have a firearm on you.  So doing a cleanup wouldn't be a problem.

Having a developed range like this is still way better and safer than what is available now.  This is also the most realistic option that can be completed since there shouldn't be any opposition and it won't require as much resources to build.

For more info, it might be best to discuss this elsewhere.

I'd be interested in learning more about this range since I wasn't able to make the meeting.  Perhaps we could discuss it over dinner somewhere for whomevers interested.

I’m not a huge fan of the hunter’s permit requirement to access the area. Will there at least be a public bench shooting area where no such special permits will be required? Most gun owners I know here only want some place to shoot without going through extra hassle, and it will be a bit disappointing if it’s not open to the general public after all this effort.
I wouldn’t mind paying an extra entrance fee for not having a hunters permit.

I haven’t been following the updates on the range, so fill me in on the details within a nutshell.

Appears to be a tradeoff here with the hunting license requirement since it's on conservation land.  I see it as a simple range project that is likely to be implemented if a hunting license is required.  Or a long complex government process that is less likely to happen if a hunting license is not required.