I’ve been very gratified by the response from our members to my Call to Action Email

As a reminder, the information can all be obtained at the following website:

https://dot.alaska.gov/creg/birchwoodamp/

I would like to get as many members as possible to attend the meeting Saturday at the Civil Air Patrol Hanger on the Birchwood Airport.  To reach it, just drive past BRSP and take the next left turn.  The hangar is clearly marked once you are on the airport.

If you are going to submit written comment, I recommend you make sure to hit the following bullet points:

  • Acquisition of the land is unnecessary.  The existing easement that was initiated in 1976 and amended in 1989 can easily be further amended to include the expanded area.
  • Acquisition of the land places an unfair burden on the club, which would in all likelihood result in the closure of the club.  Although the targeted land area is small, it is essential to our operations out of proportion to its size.
  • The targeted land supports numerous 501c(3) charities:11 charity fundraising events took place in that walkthrough last year, including such high-profile nonprofits as Shoot for the Cure, Boy Scouts, Armed Forces YMCA, and Elks Club, among others.
  • The club is essential to youth shooting, including our own youth instructional leagues and the efforts of Youth Education in the Shooting Sports and Northern Lights SCTP, as well as NRA Youth Safety Day.
  • The targeted land is not just used for shotguns. Also within it is our 3D archery walkthrough, the only year-round facility of its kind in Alaska, also used by Paintballers, demonstrating that more segments of the Alaska Citizenry than just firearms owners derive recreational benefit from the land.
  • Over 11,000 unique individuals utilized our property last year alone, and we have even more events scheduled in the coming year.

Thanks very much to all the members who have stepped up already to help stop this unnecessary threat to BRSP.

–Jim Stoneking

-Executive Director.