Residents sue Shasta County, Supervisor Patrick Jones, over proposed gun range

A group of residents living in the area of Shasta County Board of Supervisors Chairman Patrick Jones' proposed shooting range have filed a lawsuit against the county and Jones, claiming environmental studies on the project were not thorough enough.

The lawsuit was filed last month in Shasta County Superior Court and claims studies on noise and how the gun range would affect wildlife and the environment did not meet proper standards.

Prior to its approval by the Board of Supervisors in October, there was an environmental study project called a "mitigated negative declaration" which assessed the impacts of the project. The lawsuit asks a judge to order a more extensive "environmental impact report" be completed before the project can proceed.

"The neighbors are not happy with the project, but they're not happy with the project because the county has done an inadequate environmental analysis about the impacts to the neighborhood and to the environment, in terms of noise, biological resources, a number of things," said Donald Moody, the lawyer hired to file the lawsuit by the residents.

Jones wants to build the shooting range on a 151-acre piece of land in a rural area about 7 miles east of Anderson, about a half-mile north of Dersch Road, according to the county Planning Division. The center would include long-range rifle firing ranges, shotgun trap and skeet shooting areas and handgun firing bays.

The High Plains Shooting Sports Center will also include a 5,000 square-foot clubhouse with a 3,272 square-foot attached patio, a 1,025-square-foot caretaker's residence and a 700-square-foot law enforcement clubhouse with a 270-square-foot patio, according to a planning division report.

The gun club would operate five days a week, from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m., or until dark during the winter months. Jones also is a manager of Jones Fort gun store in Redding.

Jones plans up to two large events annually that could attract up to 500 people. He also has plans for 12 smaller events that would attract up to 200 visitors, the county report says.

Residents living in the area of the gun range say the noise from the shooting would be too loud and there could be stray bullets from firing ranges. They also raised concerns over traffic and said noise from the gun range would harm wildlife living in the area.

Biologists working for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and a private consultant provided written comments on the project that support "a fair argument that the project may have significant environmental impacts to biological resources," the lawsuit says.

According to a description of the project, there will be berms to prevent stray bullets and to reduce noise levels. Jones also said construction on the site will avoid environmentally sensitive vernal pools that contain tiny fairy shrimp and tadpole shrimp.

The lawsuit says a more extensive study with an environmental impact report would provide "full disclosure of the project's significant environmental effects so that decision makers and the public are informed of consequences before a project is approved, to ensure that government officials are held accountable for these consequences."

Asked whether the project could be modified to the point that neighbors would not be opposed to it, Moody said it would depend on what Jones proposed to change.

"I'd have to see what those with those mitigation measures were," he said.

Jones said the environmental review that was completed on the project was more thorough than required.

"I'm well aware of the environmental issues on this particular piece of property, probably greater than anybody alive. We've done a lot of work. We took our time. We did it correctly. We followed every step that the county asked and then some. And you don't see other projects with this level of detail with regards to the environment," Jones said.

"They might try to fool some folks. But in a court of law, they're not going to fool a judge at all," Jones said.

The lawsuit also asks a judge to halt any work being done at the shooting center site until an environmental impact report has been completed.

A court hearing on the case is set for Jan. 8, 2024, according to court records.

Reporter Damon Arthur welcomes story tips at 530-338-8834, by email at damon.arthur@redding.com and on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @damonarthur_RS. Help local journalism thrive by subscribing today!

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Residents sue Shasta County, Patrick Jones, over proposed gun range