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San Francisco’s shooting range could be converted to a nature center and wildlife hospital.
SAN FRANCISCO (Map, News) - A local wildlife-care group has launched a bid to take over public land occupied by San Francisco’s only public shooting range, where it hopes to build a nature center and wildlife hospital.
The San Francisco Rescued Orphan Mammal Program has seized on a long-running San Francisco Public Utilities Commission plan to overhaul public recreational uses of the land around Lake Merced that could see the Pacific Rod & Gun Club banished from its lakefront home.
The group filed a proposal with the SFPUC to build a nature center with a wildlife hospital on the gun club’s 14-acre site, and it sent flyers and e-mails in recent weeks asking for City residents’ support, according to its founder, Jamie Ray. The group has yet to raise any money for the $2 million project, she said.
The SFPUC recently ranked current and potential recreational activities around Lake Merced for suitability and popularity, such as fishing, boating, hiking and environmental education. A nature center ranked best of 31 proposed activities, while shooting ranked second-worst, better only than large-vehicle training.
The gun club rents land on John Muir Drive from The City for $4,250 a month, according to SFPUC project manager David Behar. He said the club’s one-year lease expired in 1934. Of the clubs 318 members, 169 live in San Francisco, according to Behar.
Club president Fred Tautenhahn pledged to fight to stay open. “After all,” he said, “we’ve been there 75 years.”
If the gun club is asked to leave, gunfire will still remain; next to the gun club is a police shooting range at which weapons are fired from 8 a.m. into the evening, according to police spokesman Sgt. Wilfred Williams.
The SFPUC will discuss the range of land use and recreation scenarios for Lake Merced tonight at 6 p.m. at a public meeting at the Sunset Recreation Center.
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3:15 PM MST on Tue., Apr. 22, 2008 re: "S.F.’s shooting range headed for extinction?"
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11:33 AM MST on Tue., Apr. 22, 2008
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3:37 PM MST on Mon., Feb. 11, 2008
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7:31 AM MST on Mon., Feb. 11, 2008
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US Taxpayer said:
The first issue to emphasize in your article is the fact that the group that wants to put a mammal rescue center at Lake Merced has no money! The gun club is totally self supporting and maintains the grounds with no help from the City. By Mr. Upton's facts, the membership of the club is 53% San Francisco residents. Mr. Tautenhahn is the club spokesperson in relations with the PUC. He is not the club president. Has anyone considered what effect shooting from the police range would have on rescued mammals and birds? By the way, do you think a mammal and bird rescue center might smell?
1 agree | 0 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Why isn't there a study of the wastewater run-off and ground contamination from the golf course fertilizers? Why isn't the golf course included in the SFPUC Lake Merced *RECREATION* plan? Isn't the golf course the largest recreational use of the land around the lake? Surprisingly enough, Large Vehicle Operation Training is part of the *RECREATION* plan. This weekend I'm going out to Lake Merced for some fun; large vehicle operation is a blast!
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Alarm Dude said:
The answer to this is painfully obvious. Between Lake Merced and the zoo is a wastewater treatment plant that outputs water SO PURE that we needed to build a mile long pipe in the ocean so the purity wouldn't disturb the little fishies. If the golf courses are using that water - that's a good first step. To fill up Lake Merced, just build a pipe across Skyline and fill the darn thing up like a bathtub! It really IS that simple!
37 agree | 53 disagree
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Samr said:
Grass isn't the biggest waste of water, unless you are talking about the alfalfa and pastureland grown in the Central Velley. 80% of all water consumed in California goes to the agricultural industry. Ag contributes about 2% to the state economy. Between one-third and one-half of the water going to Ag is used to grow four low value, water intensive crops: cotton, rice, alfalfa and irrigated pasture. Some of those receive taxpayer susbsidies, including cheap water. Yet, those 4 crops contribute only an infintesimal .015 (that's fifteen/one-hundreths of one percent) to the state's economy . THAT is the biggest waste of fresh water!
39 agree | 40 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Grass should not be allowed in a desert environment period. Whether it is here, in Napa, Vegas or Arizona. Grass is the biggest waste of fresh water.
38 agree | 38 disagree
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Samr said:
Hey "Examiner Reader" -- don't pick on the golf courses. As a part of the 15 year negotiation to resolve the problems at Lake Merced the 3 private golf courses did agree to use recycled water, rather than water from the aquifer feeding Lake Merced, and they have been doing so since late 2004. They deserve a lot of credit!!
45 agree | 49 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
why not tell the golf courses to get there own water..
36 agree | 34 disagree
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