From their Facebook page:



Our esteemed county prosecutor is the same guy who has for years been persecuting the club's executive officer. AFAIK Marcus has won every case regarding his supposed 'automtatic' AR-15, but has not had the gun returned and the prosecutor continues to appeal the rulings.

More as I hear it. I'm going to be at the meeting tonight, I hope that the rest of the Kitsap WAHTF contingent shows as well, even if you aren't a member.
Club Website

I ran into Bruce Danielson last night. He is our only hope to get rid of that POS Russ. For those that can, vote Bruce Danielson. Hea a genuine good guy and one of us.

Some time a good private ass kickin is the only answer. With promises that next time would be worse.

Why would the prosecuting atty file a civil lawsuit against a private entity?

Hmmm.   Coincidence that the County has hung two red tags on our gate in the last couple months?

I don't get it, they just sold us the property less than a year ago, it seemed quite obvious then that they WANTED us there!!!

Kitsap Prosecutor Moves to Shut Down Seabeck Highway Gun Range
By Christopher Dunagan

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

CENTRAL KITSAP — The Kitsap County Prosecutor’s Office has filed a lawsuit seeking to shut down a gun range on Seabeck Highway, where officials say stray bullets endanger neighbors and people living up to four miles away.

The nonprofit Kitsap Rifle and Revolver Club is the subject of the county complaint, which also alleges violations of land-use codes regarding clearing, grading and noise. The lawsuit also says the club has built shooting areas, berms and backstops without required permits.

Deputy prosecutor Neil Wachter said county officials were actively pursuing the land-use violations while asking the club for a safety analysis related to shooting at the gun range. Not getting an answer, they began looking into the safety issues themselves.

“Over the course of the last month or so, the county has developed an expert witness to present an opinion,” Wachter said. “Without physical facilities, (the gun range) provides a real and ongoing safety hazard to neighboring residents and potentially Klahowya School, Highway 3 and literally anyone within shooting range.”

Marcus Carter, the club’s executive director, acknowledged that bullets could leave the shooting range, but only if someone carelessly ignored basic rules, such as aiming a gun into the air. If they did, they would be dealt with immediately by the range officer in charge, he said.

As for the alleged land-use violations, Carter said the club has always acquired permits when needed, but no permits were required for the work done at the shooting range.

Kitsap County’s shooting-range expert, Gary Koon, stated in a signed declaration that he has advised Marine Corps commanders on safety at several live-fire training facilities, including Joint Base Lewis-McCord, Yakima Training Center, Bangor’s Small Arms Training Center and Camp Wesley-Harris.

“Based on industry standards of live-fire range operation ... it is my firm belief that bullets fired at KRRC are leaving the confines of the range due to ricochets and misdirected and accidental discharges ...,” he said. “Industry practices for live-fire ranges, whether military or civilian, call for a professional range safety analysis.

“From my review of the KRRC range, it is very clear that this range does not operate and has not been developed with the benefit of this type of analysis ...,” Koon said. “My professional opinion is that live-fire operations at the KRRC range must cease until it undergoes a professional and independent range safety analysis per industry standards.”

Outdoor shooting ranges should be built with baffles and physical structures to catch stray bullets, Koon said.

According to Koon’s analysis, a .44 Remington Magnum pistol fired from the KRRC pistol range could travel 2,500 yards, which places Klahowya Secondary School within range.

Some high-powered weapons used on the rifle range could travel as far as Dyes Inlet, including Highway 3 and the El Dorado Hills development near Chico, he said.

The county’s lawsuit was filed electronically late Wednesday afternoon in Pierce County Superior Court, as allowed by court procedures, Wachter said. If the case were filed in Kitsap County, Wachter said the local judges likely would disqualify themselves because a number of county officials will be involved in the case.

Without the benefit of seeing the allegations, Carter said the club has an excellent safety record over its 84 years of history and that should speak for itself. He compared the situation to driving a car.

“Is it possible for a driver to go off the road and run into a house? Certainly, it is possible, but we have people who are educated drivers, just as we have educated users of the Kitsap Rifle and Revolver Club,” he said. “Is it possible that a projectile cold reach Silverdale? Absolutely, but our 84-year history has proved that our methods and techniques are more than adequate for the activities we allow.”

Carter said plenty of ranges are built similar to his club’s — including the Paul Bunyan Rifle & Sportsman’s Club in Puyallup, which is near a Fred Meyer store.

Carter also said he was frustrated with the prosecutor’s office for filing such an action without talking to the club.

Another supporting declaration in the case was filed by Colby Swanson, a resident of Eldorado Hills in 1995 when a bullet broke through a window of his home while his 10-year-old daughter was sitting on a couch backed up to the window. The bullet came through the window about a foot to the right and two feet above her head, according to a statement from Swanson that was included in the legal filing.

Swanson said he could hear shooting at the KRRC range at the time. A sheriff’s deputy arrived and concluded that the range was the likely source of the bullet, which was recovered, according to Swanson. Officials of the shooting range never admitted that the bullet came from their facility, but they did arrange to replace the window, he said.

Carter said he had never heard of this incident.

“The county takes this situation very seriously,” Wachter said, adding that other stories of stray bullets would come out later. “We believe it is a miracle that nobody has ever been hurt.”

According to the lawsuit, conditions at the property remained substantially unchanged from 1993 until 2001. About that time, club members began installing new shooting areas, constructing berms and backstops, clearing vegetation, redirecting surface water, installing light poles for nighttime shooting and grading the site.

Since 2001, shooting competitions have increased and members have used more powerful weapons and targets that explode when struck by a bullet.

“To the hundreds of Kitsap County residents living within earshot of the range’s activities, the sounds from the activities on the property are disruptive and disturbing,” the complaint says.

Other site work, including clearing, has been done after 2005, when a stop-work order was issued, according to legal documents. The county’s code enforcement officer said he has tried to inspect the site but has not been granted access.

Carter contends that all the work was done under provisions of a “bargain-and-sale” agreement involving the county’s transfer of property to the club, and no permit was needed. As for clearing, the only vegetation removed was Scotchbroom, which the county encourages, he said. Any other changes are simply maintenance.

“We don’t need a grading permit for sifting lead out of the berms,” Carter said. “It would be like telling a BMX club that they need to take out a permit because they are going to change how their track goes.”

As for access to county officials, Carter said all anyone needed to do was fill out a form explaining the reason for the site visit so that necessary club officials could be there.

Carter says most of the neighbors are supportive of the club, but a couple of people are determined to see the range shut down — and the county is playing into their hands.

Wachter said the next step is to request a hearing to seek a preliminary injunction, which would shut down the gun range until the issue can be fully aired before a judge

Best of luck to you people.

From KRRC Facebook:

It seems that this expert has never been to the ranges at Ft Brag.,,

Word is he didn't visit Knott's Berry Farm either.

Isn't there a Navy KD 600 yd range right next door to Kitsap ? Do they still use it ?

Similar drama is happening over in N. Idaho with the Farrugut Range complex, The X-Kalifornian Nimby's with a helpfull local judge have had that project stymied for a few years, The nearest down range houses are 6000+ yds. Impact area is a 50 ft hill with 60 ft tall dense pine forest ontop... range has been there since 42. Downrange Nimby's say the can hear the crack of bullets flying past thier houses. Idaho Game came has made tons of concessions ( scaling back plans, adding un-needed baffling etc ) but none has pleased the Nimby's who want nothing short of permanent closure....


Really sucks because Farrugat is the only military type full KD rifle range between the Tri-Cities and Missoula other than Spokane and the SRC may not have 3-600 yds for much longer....

Here's my blog post on tonight's meeting. We had over 100 people turn up on very short notice. There is a regular county commissioner's meeting on Monday that we need to pack with supporters.

The Navy range was shut down several years ago. They were using KRRC for their training until recently, I'm not sure why they stopped.

I read about this last night and I was wondering who it was at the gun club that had pissed in some officials wheaties. Now I get it, it is clear that this must certianly be an extension of the DAs prosecution of the club exec. I'm sure a good shitbag err I mean lawyer would be able to make this clear to any judge that has half a lick on sense. The shitty thing that the club will have to deal with it.

There's a lot going on behind this that will come out soon.

Due to some range set-up issues, land use agreements dating back to the turn of the century, range expansion issues, and possible extensions into wetlands areas, things don't look good for the KRRC.

Lots of things that could have been done better by both sides.

They stopped using the KRRC range because they built thier own multimillion dollar indoor range on Submarine Base Bangor, which is now called Naval Base Kitsap.  The Navy shut down the range at Camp Wesley Harris because the indoor pistol/rifle range portion of the range had sub standard ventilation.  There were also EPA issues with the large 600 yard open rifle range.  There are a bunch of rich hippy pussies that live in that area.  They always bitched when the Navy used the range.  They are now doing the same thing to KRRC.  They put enough money into the commissioners and prosecutors pocket to finally get them to do something.

What a fucking shame.

80-Year-Old Gun Club Under Fire In Seabeck


Posted: 6:00 pm PDT September 9, 2010

SEABECK, Wash. –– Kitsap county prosecutors are trying to shut down a popular gun club it said poses a danger to the community, but club members call the county's lawsuit against them ridiculous.

The Kitsap Rifle and Revolver Club in Seabeck has been in the same location for more than 80 years, but Kitsap County is suing the facility, saying it’s not safe.

“It’s a case about gun safety and how gun ranges affect their neighboring areas,” said Senior Deputy Prosecutor Neil Wachter.

In a lawsuit the county alleges the gun range has greatly expanded its facility in the past 10 years without permits or proper safety protocols.

The county said as a result, people living up to four miles away, including students at Klahowya Secondary School, are in danger from stray bullets.

Roger and Libby Correll live near the range. They claim two of their neighbors’ homes have been hit by stray bullets and consider it a growing danger.

“I’m highly concerned. We have small children that play in this neighborhood all the time. I don’t want some tragedy to happen in order to shut these people down,” said Libby Correll.

The executive director of the gun range says there is no evidence any stray bullets have ever hit homes downrange, the community is in no danger and the lawsuit has no merit.

“The impact berms we have out here are adequate to stop cannon fire and machine gun fire, and they do,” said the range’s executive director Marcus Carter. “Our safety record speaks for itself.”

Prosecutors are hoping to get a court hearing sometime next week to ask a judge to shut the facility down until the legal issues in the lawsuit are sorted out. The people that run the facility said they are going to try and fight that injunction.

It's not about money. Hogue has had a hardon for the clubs exec officer for years. He has served as his own attorney and beat the persecutor in (IIRC) 14 different court battles. That's an embarrassment to Hogue. If Hogue can't get the man, he'll go for the club.

This is supported by the fact that they named the XO's wife in the lawsuit along with the club. The club now has copies of the 600 page lawsui, its a stack of paper about 4" thick.