Union County Gun Club, Blairsville, Georgia

Sound Test and Results

• In October of last year, the US Forest Service Contracted with Conway & Owen (A consulting firm) to facilitate the Sound Study for noise nescience-level assessments.  They developed an analysis of the firearms noise that is predicted for the proposed US Forestry Service- Union County Target range located on GA Hwy 180 between mile marker 18 & 19.  The intent of this report was to determine the sound level that would be experienced in areas near the Target range due to gunfire that would occur during typical use of the range.
• The results of this study were favorable for the Target Range.

This favorable assessment then provided the go-ahead for live-fire assessments to be monitored by Nutter & Associates. Nutter & Associates, Inc. is a multi-disciplinary environmental consulting firm that provides a broad range of integrated services working to ensure that the most up-to-date and comprehensive scientific methods are used while addressing Clients' priorities for environmental and land management.

• The First Live-Fire Test was held on Thursday, November the 8^th on a cold morning with snow on some of the Application-trails that were to have our assigned-monitors stationed to listen for gun-fire noise levels.  The assigned team was unable to reach their monitoring-destination point on the Appalachian Trail due to down trees blocking their government vehicles on the forest road leading up to the nearest point to our proposed range.  By the way, that closest distance is about 1 ½ mile away from the proposed range site.   A full ½ mile further away than the nearest home-site.

• Nutter & Associates were in attendance to oversee the validity of the live-fire tests.  Also present were personnel from the US Forest Service, our local Law Enforcement personnel, UCGC board members as well as a few concerned local residences.
• The 40-caliber pistol and 308 caliber rifles were fired by Law Enforcement personnel while members of the different organizations mentioned above were stationed among the homes of the nearby residences to listen and record what they heard.  Hearing-result forms had been issued by the US Forest Service to be filled out by the listening parties and were collected and presented to the Nutter & Associates personnel for evaluation.  Unofficially, our own Board members and Law enforcement personnel monitoring the tests were encouraged that they did not even hear all of the shots fired and what they did hear was very minimal---more like a whispered.  Ambient traffic and airplane noises were much, much louder than any of our live-fire gun reports.
• The reason for the second live fire test, was to allow the team to be located on the Appalachian Trail. There were additional monitors at other locations.
•   Firearms used for the second live fire test were:  300 Weatherby Magnum, 30-06 Rifle, AR 15, 357 Magnum revolver, 44 Magnum Revolver and a 9mm Caliber pistol & 40 Caliber Pistol. 

For this live-fire shoot, UCGC board-members along with the Sheriff’s department personnel provided the diverse firearms and shooters.  Nutter & Associates provided their own personnel to monitor, record and direct the live-fire shoot.

The Second Live-Fire Test was held on Tuesday December 11^th

Since then, we received unofficial word that some local home-owners did their own live-fire tests and submitted a letter to the US Forest Service indicating that in their tests, they were pleased to announce that they were not bothered by the noise generated by their own live-fire tests and were withdrawing their complaint-issues.  This letter is also located on the US Forest Service web site for anyone to review.

During the time after the second live-fire tests, the Government experienced a partial shut-down that affected the US Forest Service and their consultants and so for a month, no action was taken on finishing the “Official” Final sound-study report by anyone in the US Forest Service nor their contractors.

So, as of today (March 7, 2019), we are still waiting for the “Official” Sound-Study results from either Nutter & Associates or the US Forest Service.