Chabot Gun Club Under Attack

[GeorgeGeorgerson]

I realize this is more of a "2A Activism" thing but since I want people to see this because many people including myself really enjoy shooting at Chabot Gun Club and want to continue doing so in the future:

Not sure how many of you are aware of the issues Chabot Gun Club in Castro Valley is having, but it looks like they're still getting attacked by multiple parties, including the East Bay Regional Park District, from whom they lease their land from.

Anyway, it seems that they need our help once again, and are asking for people to come and personally show support.

There will be a Board Meeting, Tuesday, Nov. 3rd at 2pm, at the following address:

East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD)
2950 Peralta Oaks Court
Oakland, CA 94605-0381

I also recommend checking out their Facebook posts; a lot has been going on. You do not need to be a Facebook member or user to view their page and updates.

Their latest update (today) may be viewed at the following URL:

https://www.facebook.com/ChabotGunClub/posts/1646691932275836

And their main facebook page may be viewed at:

https://www.facebook.com/ChabotGunClub/?fref=nf

[maylebox]

Thanks GeorgeGeorgerson. Yeah the issues regarding the renewing of the lease have been ongoing for some time and unfortunately it appears to have taken a turn for the worse in recent weeks. This is pretty much crunch time for the future of the Chabot range and if people wanted to help out NOW would be the time to do that. Very soon this great range could be just a fond memory. I'll be going to the Tuesday meeting to show my support this week.

[T19gun04]

Update to Chabot Gun Club

Please email ALL seven supervisors today!! Emails are below please do your part!!!

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Lease Update 10/31/15: Chabot Gun Club Has Risen to the Challenge!

Now it’s your turn:

EBRPD Board Meeting, Tuesday, Nov. 3rd, @ 2:00 pm. Please be there!

In the last lease update, we painted a pretty bleak picture of our current relationship with the East Bay Regional Park District. To make matters even more interesting, we have it on good authority that people from various out-of-area groups, plus the Unitarian Church, the Golden Gate Audubon Society, and even a local park anti-expansion group have been pulled into the mix of those opposed to Chabot Gun Club operating the Anthony Chabot Marksmanship Range.

Doesn’t really surprise us. We expected outside agitators to join people with legitimate concerns to take this up as the cause du jour.

Fortunately, the National Rifle Association, the California Rifle and Pistol Association and the Diablo Rod and Gun Club have stepped in with donations and other assistance. Our counsel, C.D. Michel & Associates, a well-known firearms legal firm, is bending over backwards to help us rise to these challenges. Thousands of other individuals are also finding ways to assist us.

Our Compliance Recapped

First off, in our haste to get the last lease update out, where we discussed our areas of compliance with the regulators, we forgot to include some of the other areas in which we are, even according to the EBRPD, already compliant with regulations concerning the environment:

Things we learned during the Board Operations Committee on September 24:

The water in Lake Chabot has been tested in the upper strata and no lead has been found.

No testing of the lower strata in the lake was done because of the years of lead fishing weights that had been deposited there.

Lead has been found somewhere upstream of the lake but the EBRPD does not know where it came from. (With the East Bay hills’ history of military firearms ranges and missile sites is that really surprising?)

The fish in Lake Chabot have been tested and are free of lead.

So Let’s Summarize:

CGC is legally compliant on our sound signature, specifically on the type of sound that gunfire makes.

CGC is compliant on our stormwater signature. There were some earlier ‘spikes’ caused by mitigation measures improperly forced upon us. (Like one of Alameda County’s regulators told us, “Sometimes we tend to over-regulate a little.”)

CGC is compliant on our lead reclamation projects, even though interrupted by the aforementioned mitigation measures.

CGC will continue to be compliant as we have already brought in a nationally recognized lead reclamation firm to help us re-vamp the range.

CGC is compliant with our environmental stewardship as we are not causing a discharge of lead into Lake Chabot.

CGC compliant with our environmental stewardship as we have no impact on the fish in Lake Chabot.

CGC is compliant with the EBRPD’s requirement that we retain a stormwater scientist by retaining Dr. Tim Bauters, a nationally recognized stormwater expert.

The only place that CGC is not compliant is in this:

We were told that while we could protest (what we believed were unnecessary, expensive and potentially irresponsible) proposals that the EBRPD and its consultants were pushing upon us, in the end, we would have to do what we are told.

Well, it is not quite that simple.

CGC will endeavor to continue to do what is right, especially where safety and the environment are concerned.

Here are a few examples:

Even though the EBRPD has been trying to hide discharge points from the regulators and the public, we will sample wherever we deem necessary and report our findings to the authorities.

Even though the EBRPD has prevented us from implementing reasonable and effective Best Management Practices (BMPs) and required us to engage in practices that could damage the environment, we will continue to work to ensure that only clean water leaves our facility.

Even though the EBRPD has taken funds away from their intended purpose in order to facilitate our closure, we will bring those funds to light in an effort to have the EBRPD reassign them to the long term benefit of the mass of shooters in the Bay Area and the environment that the EBRPD professes to desire to preserve.

What can you do?

First send an email to the EBRPD Directors, individually, as soon as possible. Tell them how and why you think Chabot Gun Club is an important asset to the San Francisco Bay Area.
Share your experiences at CGC and at other outdoor ranges.

Here are their email addresses. Please cut and paste them into your address book or address line.

Whitney Dotson
Ward 1 Board Member
President
E-mail: wdotson@ebparks.org

John Sutter
Ward 2 Board Member
Director
E-mail: jsutter@ebparks.org

Dennis Waespi
Ward 3 Board Member (Chabot Gun Club’s Director)
Secretary
E-mail: dwaespi@ebparks.org

Doug Siden
Ward 4 Board Member
Vice President
E-mail: dsiden@ebparks.org

Ayn Wieskamp
Ward 5 Board Member
Director
E-mail: awieskamp@ebparks.org

Beverly Lane
Ward 6 Board Member
Treasurer
E-mail: blane@ebparks.org

Diane Burgis
Ward 7 Board Member
E-mail: dburgis@ebparks.org

The Big Meeting November 3rd

Then, come to the EBRPD General Board Meeting at 2:00 pm on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2015. I would suggest you get there at least half an hour early, as I expect the opposition to show up in large numbers.

The opposition will have signs. We should wear something BLUE, the Club’s main color. If you plan to speak, you will need to fill out a speaker card when you get there or reply to this email and I will email you one to finish filling out. We are agenda item C.2.a, Chabot Gun Club.

Since this will be an informational meeting, no vote will be taken (at least that is what EBRPD's staff has told us). The senior staff will probably present a very biased, negative report on Chabot Gun Club, as they have in the Board Operations Committee and the Park Advisory Committee.

Speak if you can. Numbers will matter.

If you can’t get in, due to the number of people, hang around the building. The media will undoubtedly will be there.

No guns! No foul language! Please be very polite. There are a lot of people working in the EBRPD that quietly support us. Even if they are against us, let's do like Ronald Reagan did: try to never turn an adversary into an enemy.

The address to come to the meeting is:

East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD)
2950 Peralta Oaks Court
Oakland, CA 94605-0381

See you there.

John
CHABOT GUN CLUB, INC.
P.O. Box 2246
Castro Valley, CA 94546
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TRACK

[E92335i]

Here's a long thread about it.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=875542

[GreggieBoy]

I just posted this elsewhere but get the word out:

Chabot Gun Club President, Dennis Staats will be on KGO Radio, AM 810 with Christine Craft today, Sunday, Nov. 1st at 6pm. This is a call-in talk show so listen for the numbers and call in if you can.

Christine Craft, an attorney who believes in Constitutional rights, will be interviewing Dennis today about the issues surrounding the current efforts to close Chabot Gun Club and the Anthony Chabot Marksmanship Range.

She describes herself as a "Flaming Liberal who owns Guns."

Dennis has been our President for more than 13 years and has held other board and activity positions before that. He is very knowledgeable about the issues and opposition we face.

Should be a lively discussion, Please listen and call in if you can.

[T19gun04]

I don't get care if this is a duplicate thread.
Nothin long about this thread other than email the supervisors!

[BigPimping]

Wish i could be there....

[GeorgeGeorgerson]

Quick bump -

The meeting is at 2 PM, today at the East Bay Regional Park District.

[GeorgeGeorgerson]

I'm on my way in a few minutes. If any of you can show up, please do.

[BigPimping]

Wish i was there. I work night shift and I just woke up.

[coy80176]

Gotta save our gun clubs...

I was at the range last Friday and a news photographer was taking pics to cover the story.

Here's the Chabot news story link-

http://www.contracostatimes.com/breaking-news/ci_29049410/sun-may-be-setting-at-gun-range-at

Tactical bench model for hire in the last pic in the gallery -

http://photos.mercurynews.com/2015/11/01/chabot-gun-club-in-castro-valley/#17

[TomV]

There was an excellent turnout for the meeting. There were over 50 speakers for and against the Club.

I think Director John Sutter summed it up best at the end. He stated that Environmental and Sound issues aside, it will probably come down to "does it make financial sense" to keep it open.

The Range is currently operating in the Red. And with the Environmental Protection costs and possible Sound Reduction upgrades in the future the fixed costs will continue to rise.

Generating more income is one solution. A combination of higher range fees and more customers.

[Click Boom]

A thousand cuts...

[TheGaut]

I used to be there every Weekend. Used to live in Castro Valley just a few miles.

"Sound Reduction upgrades" is ridiculous; nothing within range to be affected in any way; not even the camping site across the valley.

This place is well isolated and well managed. Saddening, I know many folks working there or volunteering. This truly is an oasis in the East Bay with a strong sense of community.


Typical agenda.... pissed beyond belief.

Any way we can still help.

[TomV]

"Sound Reduction upgrades" is ridiculous; nothing within range to be affected in any way; not even the camping site across the valley.

There were 6 or 8 people, including some from Oakland complaining about the "constant, nonstop gun fire 7 days a week, and as early as 7 in the morning.