I write to call the Board of Supervisors attention to an on going problem in our county, which the Board has tried to address in the past (2021 resolution re Jackson Demonstrate State Forest CalFire management).

Among many problems with CalFIRE’s management of the forest, for decades CalFire has ignored the problem of illegal use of guns in Jackson. I frequently walk the trails and roads in the western portion of the State Forest and on multiple occasions encountered gun enthusiasts illegally firing rifles and handguns in areas where hikers and bicyclists are using the Forest’s trails. In some areas such as the abandoned quarry on Little Lake Rd about a quarter of mile past the turn off to the Woodlands Park/Campground, gun enthusiasts use the quarry adjacent to Little Lake Rd as an illegal gun range. This endangers the occupants of vehicles on the immediately adjacent Little Lake Rd, as well as the hikers and bicyclists on the near by trails. All of this is despite the fact that CalFIRE as a major station just a few miles west on Little Lake Rd.

In so many ways, its clear CalFIRE’s mission and capacities are inconsistent with managing a public forest that is heavily used by the public. AB 2494 seeks to repurpose the management of Jackson, and I hope that consideration will be given to addressing CalFIRE’s egregious inability to control illegal gun use in the forest. The public’s use of Jackson has radically changed over the decades, a complete overhaul of its management to optimize public outcomes is highly warranted.

Thank you,
Peter McNamee