Support for range
Support for range
A Jan. 30 Hawaii Tribune-Herald article discussed delays in completion of an environmental assessment for a proposed public shooting facility at Puu Anahulu because of noise concerns raised by neighboring hotels and landowners. A spokesperson for one group indicated that with “all of the other available land,” a large-scale shooting range should not be developed “right next door” to “a major commerce and employment center” where visitors enjoy Hawaii’s “peaceful beauty.”
For the record, the proposed shooting facility site is located on an open lava field in a public hunting area between an active landfill and a commercial heliport. Its closest property boundary is one and a quarter miles distant from the spokesperson’s referenced commerce and employment center.
Two scientifically-based sound surveys conducted in 2005 and 2012 were unable to discern gunfire sound from predominately vehicular-based background noise generated from within and adjacent to the referenced center. Results were shared with the center’s spokesperson, a participant in the community-based shooting range working group for the past five years.
Candidate locations for an island shooting range have been discussed for 20 years. Seven sites — located in Hamakua, South Hilo, North Kona, and Kohala — were actively investigated. Only the Puu Anahulu site met criteria that considered land size, use restrictions, projectile containment, access control, means of entry, access to utilities, prevailing weather conditions, wildfire susceptibility, proximity to habitation and other factors. There is no wide selection of other suitable available land.
Ten years of effort have been invested in the Puu Anahulu range site. The current development plan has received widespread community support. On Target Inc. is committed to development of a safe island public shooting facility and looks forward to working with the range site’s neighbors to address and alleviate their concerns.
Richard Hoeflinger
President, On Target Inc.
PUC should act
The Hawaii electric companies are now crying about customers converting to solar and other renewable electricity sources. It’s not like it’s a surprise. They have had several years to upgrade their grids and other equipment. Now, they are changing their requirements for customer solar installations and want the ratepayers to pay for their upgrades. They have been taking advantage of the Hawaii ratepayers for years, now they want to do it again.
If the Public Utilities Commission allows all of the nonsense, they all ought to be fired. They are supposed to protect and serve the ratepayers, not the electric company. If they can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.
Bob Dukat
Pahoa