National Guard seeks bids for scaled-down machine gun range on Cape base

Susan Vaughn
·3 min read

The Army National Guard is soliciting bids for a scaled-down version of its plans for a machine gun range at Camp Edwards on Joint Base Cape Cod after its initial proposal a year ago brought two bids that were more than $6 million over the $8.9 million project budget.

The rebid proposal advertisement in the Cape Cod Times on July 19 at the same estimated cost of $8.9 million calls for construction of a three-lane, 800-meter multi-purpose gun range with accompanying facilities, including a range control tower, ammunition breakdown building, covered mess, classroom and storage. The original proposal consisted of eight firing lanes, each 800 meters long, as described in an Environmental Protection Agency review in 2023.

In a project review issued April 2023, EPA found significant environmental risks with the range being directly over the Upper Cape Water Supply Reserve and its approval is necessary for the project to proceed. Maria Hardiman, director of communications for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, confirmed that position in an emailed statement Thursday.

“The Environmental Management Commission’s review of the proposed multi-purpose machine gun range continues to be suspended pending resolution by the federal government of the issues," the agency's statement reads. "Construction and operation of the proposed range cannot commence without final approval by the EMC. The latest bid does not change this process.”

A group visits the Known Distance Range beside its observation tower as part of a tour of Camp Edwards for civilians May 20, 2023. This range is the one proposed to be transformed into a machine gun range. This range is 1000 meters long and was deactivated in 1997.
A group visits the Known Distance Range beside its observation tower as part of a tour of Camp Edwards for civilians May 20, 2023. This range is the one proposed to be transformed into a machine gun range. This range is 1000 meters long and was deactivated in 1997.

Further, the statement read: “The EMC’s review, if undertaken, would include consideration of advisory committee recommendations and evaluating whether the project meets specific Environmental Performance Standards, a set of standards that guides both military and civilian users in the protection of Camp Edwards’ natural and cultural resources and the groundwater beneath the Upper Cape Water Supply Reserve.” The Reserve is 15,000 acres comprising the northern training area of Camp Edwards, the major training area for the Army National Guard Soldiers in the Northeast.

Why does the National Guard need the machine gun range

The machine gun range is needed because the Army National Guard soldiers need to comply with updated U.S. Army qualification standards, including no more paper targets, according to previous statements from the National Guard.

Massachusetts Army National Guard Natural Resources and Training Lands Manager Jake McCumber gives a presentation to a tour group on Joint Base Cape Cod at the site of the proposed machine gun range on Camp Edwards June 18, 2023.
Massachusetts Army National Guard Natural Resources and Training Lands Manager Jake McCumber gives a presentation to a tour group on Joint Base Cape Cod at the site of the proposed machine gun range on Camp Edwards June 18, 2023.

A Massachusetts National Guard spokesman did explain why the new proposal was pared down from the previous one. An emailed response stated the Guard is following the multi-step federal process required by the funding passed in 2020.

The changes to the new gun range rebid proposal, however, were confirmed in April in an appendix of a letter from the EPA to Senators Markey and Warren and Rep. Keating, according to an article on the Association to Preserve Cape Cod’s website by Executive Director Andrew Gottlieb. The Association has been strongly opposed to the project because of its threat to the Cape’s sole water source, which would directly affect the towns of Sandwich, Bourne and Mashpee.

“The modifications are characterized as a response to EPA’s concerns about the threat to the Upper Cape’s water supply,” he wrote. “If it is what the Guard says it is, then the modifications are an abject failure.” Gottlieb added that the Guard “had steadfastly insisted that 10 firing lanes and 1,500-meter, 2.5-caliber machine gun lanes were what was necessary to meet the training required by the Department of Defense.”

Mark Forest, Barnstable County commissioner, responded to the rebid changes last week, saying, “The project is in the most critical portion of the Upper Cape Water Supply Reserve, established to protect the Cape’s drinking water.”

“My guess is that the Guard is looking to segment the project, to implement it in phases,” he said. The county commission has been opposed to the project since 2021 because of the potential environmental impacts.

Bids due Aug. 7

Forest also noted that time is running out on the funding as the federal fiscal year ends on Sept. 30. The ad by the Massachusetts Military Division, the awarding authority, states that bids from contractors must be received by Aug. 7.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Barnstable County Commission remains opposed to machine gun range