Idaho Equestrians for the Eagle Foothills

The turnout at the Eagle Foothills today as outstanding. Thank you to everyone who took the time out of your day to stand up for our beloved trailhead parking area. Homeowners were present as well as equestrians of all ages. Keep the pressure on, as the ones with money will continue to press for the shooting range. Write to the Eagle city council members to let them know why you think it’s a bad idea for this location. Imagine that you are the one who has to listen to gunshots while you’re having an outdoor barbeque at the multimillion dollar house you just built! Imagine that you are the one wanting a quiet walk with your dog or child after work, but the silence is broken by gunshots.  Stay tuned to Morgan Romero’s KTVB interview with Tami Bromley with SW Idaho Trail and Distance Riders that will air next week (after April 24).

Say “no” to the current Eagle City Council proposal for an outdoor shooting range north of Eagle on Willow Creek Road. Read more below and email the city council members now before it’s too late.

Copy/Paste/Edit the letter below or create your own:

Dear Mayor Pierce and City Council Members,

As an Idaho resident, I respectfully ask that you reconsider your proposal to contruct a shooting range at the Willow Creek location. The noise and traffic will negatively impact Eagle’s charm, way of life, and property values.

Equestrians and hikers alike have used the area for many years as a close in quiet retreat for riding horses and walking dogs. Groups of children enjoy exploring the sights and sounds outside of busy city life. It’s one of the few places to get to quickly with easy access.

Please consider an area with less environmental impact for building a shooting range. Why not leave the area natural as it is now or provide a park with plenty of car and trailer parking? Really, why ruin a place that’s so special to so many people?

Sincerely,

The Eagle Foothills equestrian/hiking trailhead is currently at extreme risk. The City of Eagle is in the process of acquiring the land from Spring Valley developers and proposing a shooting range on 80 acres with a fenced parking lot where horse owners and hikers have freely parked for many, many years. Many of us and people living in the area are concerned about the loss of a quiet place to go and to live. Dogs and horses do not mix with the sounds of gunshots. We aren’t against a shooting range being built; just NOT at this location.

Over the years, equestrians have lost access to miles of riding due to lack of parking and lack of access to BLM due to private land. Once access is removed, it’s gone forever. The Eagle Foothills trailhead is one of the few remaining areas where clubs and groups of people have space to park and ride and/or hike together.

Residents who live nearby risk the loss of home values with resulting noise and traffic. Future homes will also be affected. How would we feel if we lived there?

An open house was held in early March and a survey made available to the public. Testimonies were again heard at a following meeting as were the results of the survey. It seems few people knew of the open house and the survey as only about 600 people (not all Eagle residents) responded with approx. 60% in favor of the range. Even people within “shooting range” weren’t aware of the meetings and surveys taking place resulting in little representation against the proposed shooting range. With 33,000 people living in the city of Eagle alone, the survey should have had much greater publicity to obtain greater accuracy of the data. Why would only a few be notified of a survey? Hmmm…..

The land is being donated for a park. In our opinion, a park should be accessible for all to enjoy, including children, animals, and non-weapon enthusiasts. Please write to Eagle City Council members NOW as they are proceeding with their studies in favor of the shooting range. We’ve included a letter you can copy/paste and the email addresses of the council members for your convenience.

City of Eagle plans public shooting range for foothills

City Council Shooting Range Open House

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