Friday, August 30, 2013

Fwd: Sept. 9th Burlington City Council Hearing on Gun Control



SEPTEMBER 9, 2013
BURLINGTON CITY COUNCIL HEARING ON GUN CONTROL
PLEASE ATTEND!
ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT LIVE IN BURLINGTON!
YOUR VOICE WILL AND SHOULD BE HEARD!
 
Clint Gray,
President
Vermont Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs, Inc.
 
On September 9th, the Burlington City Council will take up a very
impressive list of gun control items drafted by its charter committee. 
This is about Vermont municipalities being able to ban or restrict and
the licensing out of existence firearms, ranges, ammo, hunting, fishing
and trapping by destroying the effectiveness of our Vermont Sportsmen's
Bill of Rights preemption law.  
 
In effect since 1988, 24 VSA Sections 2295 and 2291(8) have protected
the rights of the outdoors sporting/shooting communities from banning or
control by the municipalities.  In 2006 the legislature added range protection
into 24 VSA 2291(8).
 
If Burlington gets this authority granted by the legislature, municipalities all
over the state will be trying to get exemptions or amend/repeal the above
cited Vermont Sportsmen's Bill of Rights preemption law. 
 
Municipalities can then enact local ordinances to ban, regulate, tax or
license any or all of the items or activities currently protected by two laws.
 
The two critical state laws are down below.  10 VSA Sec. 5227 defines range.
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24 § 2295. Authority of municipal and county governments to regulate firearms, ammunition, hunting, fishing and trapping
Except as otherwise provided by law, no town, city or incorporated village, by ordinance, resolution or other enactment, shall directly regulate hunting, fishing and trapping or the possession, ownership, transportation, transfer, sale, purchase, carrying, licensing or registration of traps, firearms, ammunition or components of firearms or ammunition. This section shall not limit the powers conferred upon a town, city or incorporated village under section 2291(8) of this title. The provisions of this section shall supersede any inconsistent provisions of a municipal charter. (Added 1987, No. 178 (Adj. Sess.), eff. May 9, 1988.)
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24 § 2291. Enumeration of powers
For the purpose of promoting the public health, safety, welfare, and convenience, a town, city, or incorporated village shall have the following powers:
(8) To regulate or prohibit the use or discharge, but not possession of, firearms within the municipality or specified portions thereof, provided that an ordinance adopted under this subdivision shall be consistent with section 2295 of this title and shall not prohibit, reduce, or limit discharge at any existing sport shooting range, as that term is defined in 10 V.S.A. § 5227.
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10 § 5227. Sport shooting ranges; municipal and state authority
(a) "Sport shooting range" or "range" means an area designed and operated for the use of archery, rifles, shotguns, pistols, skeet, trap, black powder, or any other similar sport shooting.
(b) The owner or operator of a sport shooting range, and a person lawfully using the range, who is in substantial compliance with any noise use condition of any issued municipal or state land use permit otherwise required by law shall not be subject to any civil liability for damages or any injunctive relief resulting from noise or noise pollution, notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary.
(c) If no municipal or state land use permit is otherwise required by law, then the owner or operator of the range and any person lawfully using the range shall not be subject to any civil liability for damages or any injunctive relief relating to noise or noise pollution.
(d) Nothing in this section shall prohibit or limit the authority of a municipality or the state to enforce any condition of a lawfully issued and otherwise required permit.
(e)(1) In the event that the owner, operator, or user of a range is not afforded the protection set forth in subsection (b) or (c) of this section, this subsection shall apply. A nuisance claim against a range may only be brought by an owner of property abutting the range. The range shall have a rebuttable presumption that the range does not constitute any form of nuisance if the range meets the following conditions:
(A) the range was established prior to the acquisition of the property owned by the person bringing the nuisance claim; and
(B) the frequency of the shooting or other alleged nuisance activity at the range has not significantly increased since acquisition of the property owned by the person bringing the nuisance claim.
(2) The presumption that the range does not constitute a nuisance may be rebutted only by an abutting property owner showing that the activity has a noxious and significant interference with the use and enjoyment of the abutting property.
(f) Prior to use of a sport shooting range after dark for purposes of training conducted by a federal, state, county, or municipal law enforcement agency, the sport shooting range shall notify those homeowners and businesses with property abutting the range that have requested such notice from the range.
(g) If any subsection of this section is held invalid, the invalidity does not affect the other subsections of this section that can be given effect without the invalid subsection, and for this purpose, the subsections of this section are severable. (Added 1991, No. 20; amended 2001, No. 61, § 71, eff. June 16, 2001; 2005, No. 173 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. May 22, 2006.)





Saturday, August 17, 2013

Fwd: S.A.M. Speaker on Maine Bear Hunting Battle at the Barre F&G Club on Tuesday, 27th


 
The Vermont Bearhound Association will be hosting a presentation on the Maine Bear Hunting referendum
that is upcoming in 2014. 
 
This event is at the Barre F&G Club on Tuesday, August 27 starts at 6:00P.M.
 
National anti-hunting groups have once again undertaken a public referendum ballot campaign to attack bear
hunting in Maine.   Maine voters will decide the fate of bear hunting in a state-wide referendum vote. 

If this anti-hunting campaign is success it will embolden the antis to take up more anti-outdoor sporting
attacks in other state.  Success breeds funding donations and other support for the anti-hunting groups.

Mr. Don Cliner, a speaker from the Sportsmen's Alliance of Maine (SAM) will explain the bear vote issue,
how SAM will work to maintain hunting rights and how this situation impacts other states, if it were to pass.
 
Please plan on attending this informational presentation.
 
Thank you.



Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Mendon Fish and Game 3-D Shoot

Mendon Fish & Game Club
3-D Bow Shoot


The Mendon Fish & Game Club will be holding their annual 3-D Bow Shoot, Saturday, September 21st from 7am-3pm, and Sunday, September 22nd, from 7am-1pm, at the Mendon Fish & Game Club in Chittenden, Vermont.  Archery enthusiasts will be able to enjoy the 3-D Video Shoot by High Ledge Archery with new Rinehart targets and improved course layout.  Cost is only $10.00 per person and all proceeds will benefit the sponsorship of the 2013 Green Mountain Conservation Camp attendees.  There will be a concession stand but no alcohol.


Directions: At the corner of Rts. 4 & 7, take Rt. 4 East, 4 miles to Meadow Lake Drive. Meadow Lake drive and go one mile to Chittenden Road turn right and Mendon Fish & Game Club is ¼ mile on left.


Contact Information
   Gary Severance
    (802) 558-5702
                                               sevfam3@comcast.net

Friday, August 9, 2013

Times Argus: Barre F & G Club offering hunter education



 
Club offering hunter education
August 08,2013
 
BERLIN — The Barre Fish and Game Club's hunter education course is set to run Mondays and Thursdays from Aug. 15 to 29 and Sept. 3.

Registration for the course will be held Monday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the clubhouse on Gun Club Road in Berlin. A parent must attend the registration if the student wishing to participate is younger than 16.

The course is free, and all are welcome. Testing day will be Sept. 7 from 9 a.m. until completion.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Central Vermont Friends of NRA Banquet on Saturday, September 14th

                                   Fun, Good Food, Good Folks & Lots of Prizes
 
The Central Vermont Friends of NRA will be holding its 12th Annual Banquet
at the Barre Elks Club on the evening of Saturday, September 14th.  The prizes
include ammo, lots of firearms, firearm related equipment & outdoor sports items.
 
Banquet tickets are $35.00 and there is a firearm door prize.  (A Frank M. Surprise Prize)
 
Tickets may be purchased by calling Chairman Frank Malnati at 802-272-8751, and
credit card via the Internet at www.friendsofnra.org  E-mail info contact VTGuns@aol.com
 
The Central Vermont Friends of NRA Banquet flyer that is an attachment to this
E-Mail has more information and photos of just some of the gun prizes.
 
This CV FNRA Banquet is the the last of Vermont's six Friends of NRA events
in 2013.  In 2011 the profits from these six banquets made it possible to give
out $42,830 in Vermont for purchasing equipment for clubs, ranges, shooting
teams and funding NRA Day and NRA Women On Target shooting/training events.