NFOA labeled "big gun" in the passage of Nebraska range protection bill LB503

[Dan W]

I you are a member of the Izaak Walton League, you can follow along on page 10 of their latest edition of OUTDOOR AMERICA, the League's national magazine

In the "League Lines" department, this article about LB503 can be found.

WITHIN RANGE

  NEBRASKA- For years the Lincoln Chapter has watched anxiously as housing developments crept closer to it's shooting ranges. More neighbors bring more potential for complaints about noise and safety- an issue that's been plaguing suburban ranges across the country, and in some cases leading to range closures.

  Chapter secretary and past-president Wes Sheets has seen the problem coming for a while. Seven years ago, he and another member were on their way back from a turkey hunting trip and dicussing the issue when they decided that the chapter needed to take preemptive measures. They convinced a state legislator to introduce legislation to protect shooting ranges from sprawl.

   For several years, the bill languished in the legislature, never getting the votes it needed. This year, two big guns stepped up to help: the Nebraska Firearms Owners Association and the National Rifle Association. Thanks to their lobbying, LB503- the Range Protection Bill- was introduced into the state legislature this spring, passed overwhelmingly, and was signed by the governor to become law on August 30. The law will provide some protection against nuisance litigation and discharge bans. More importantly, says Sheets, it will grandfather the Lincoln Chapters ranges from any new restrictive zoning laws that could close the range. Nebraska is the 48th state to enact this type of legislation.

   Despite the protection the bill affords, Sheets knows the best protection for the 720 member chapter is positive public relations. As he puts it, "We must live up to the image that we have asked for."

We all owe the Izaak Walton League, and Wes Sheets,  a big "Thank you" for the national exposure and more importantly for their efforts in getting range protection passed in Nebraska.
 

Thanks Wes, and Thank you to all the members of the Lincoln Chapter and the Izaak Walton League of America from the NFOA.

[JimP]

Thanks, Ikes'!!!

[FarmerRick]

Awesome!

Just wish the story was available online.

[SBarry]

We were big guns with 500 members back then, imagine what we will be after this fall.

I signed up a Lincoln Ike at the Brule show. I sent a message to the Nebraska Division President, who lives not too far from me in the same county. Lets hope we get at least 50% of them on board.

[huskergun]

And we got billing over the NRA. 

[Dan W]

And we got billing over the NRA. 

  YES....Yes we did!

[SBarry]

Can someone scan the article and send it to me? I would like a print to use recruiting.

[Dan W]

I emailed you a copy of the front cover and the article. It is a pretty big file 24MB

[Dan W]

[FarmerRick]

Thanks Dan!!  I'll print those off and take them to the Fremont show.

[Roper]

Sounding like a broken record here - but we should be able to use a summary of the article in a press release.  Again, it could be tied to something around our fantastic recruiting efforts and the efforts we made in the last legislative session.  Do we have any members who have a press or advertising background that could help our officers develop our strategy?

[bkoenig]

I'm proud to be a member of both the Lincoln Ikes and NFOA.  I'm really excited about the way both organizations were able to rally the troops on this issue.  Wes did a great job getting the Ikes involved, and everyone here knows all the work the NFOA put into it.  This bodes well for the future here in Nebraska.  

By the way, if any NFOA members ever want to go shooting in Lincoln just let me know and if I'm available I'm more than happy to take you to the Ike's as a guest.