Blue Trail Range postpones reopening

WALLINGFORD - While satisfied with its safety improvements, Blue Trail Range has postponed the reopening of its 100-yard range for a week at the request of state officials.

The North Branford Road gun range voluntarily closed its 100- and 200-yard rifle ranges in May after the Department of Environmental Protection determined that bullets were entering Tri-Mountain State Park, a property on the other side of a reservoir near the range.

Blue Trail Range experienced friction with the DEP and Attorney General Richard Blumenthal Thursday when it notified officials that it planned to reopen the 100-yard range within 24 hours. The DEP and Blumenthal urged Blue Trail to keep the range closed until the DEP could review the range's safety study and improvements. Blumenthal suggested court action could be possible in the interest of guarding public safety.

By Thursday evening, Blue Trail decided to delay the opening of the range for a week. The decision was a "good faith gesture" to the DEP, said Craig Fishbein, an attorney for Blue Trail Range.

Blue Trail is ready to reopen the 100-yard range, now that experts have deemed it safe, Fishbein said. Blue Trail's safety study was written by C. Vargas & Associates, a shooting range design firm.

"Basically, the report says that, based upon what's out there now, we have a very high level of safety," Fishbein said.

The DEP wants to ensure that bullets would not be able to enter state park property. The department wants to review the safety documents Blue Trail has provided, said spokesman Dwayne Gardner. If Blue Trail were to open the 100-yard range today, the DEP would close Tri-Mountain State Park, according to Gardner.

While the DEP believes bullets have entered the park, Blue Trail disputes the point. The two entities have not agreed on the location of the park's boundary lines.

Fishbein said Blue Trail has done its due diligence to ensure safety standards and has the right to reopen its range.

"We're a legal business and DEP is not in the business of regulating shooting ranges," he said. "That's not what they're around for."

At a town meeting in Durham July 22, a Blue Trail attorney announced that the facility was ready to reopen its 100-yard range in the near future.

Blue Trail has implemented a number of safety improvements at the 100-yard range. It increased the height of the backstop behind the targets and enlarged the baffling material that prevents shooters from firing above a certain height. The range also installed surveillance cameras around the firing line and a booth from which the range officer could observe shooters. Shooters can only access the firing line after being provided an electronic card, another new feature at the site, Fishbein said.

As long as a shooter follows the safety rules, Fishbein said, bullets cannot leave the range.

While the business plans to reopen the shorter range, it must still perform a safety assessment for the longer range, Fishbein said. The 200-yard range will be open only for air guns and BB gun practice for the time being. Blue Trail also provided state officials a conclusion by a National Rifle Association official that the range, with its improvements, is safe. John Joines, manager of range services for the NRA, visited the site June 1 and 2.

Blue Trail will open two of its ranges today. The Dinan Range and the outdoor pistol range.

gmoore@record-journal.com

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