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Sky Valley Sportsman's Park
BE ADVISED – THIS IS NOT YET A USEABLE FACILITY.
THIS PROJECT IS IN DESIGN PHASE ONLY. THE PROPERTY IS STILL CURRENTLY UNDER THE OWNERSHIP AND CONTROL OF THE WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT. OF NATURAL RESOURCES (DNR).
SNOHOMISH COUNTY DOES NOT CURRENTLY HAVE A RECREATIONAL SHOOTING FACILITY AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC USE.
Don't be part of the problem!
- Abide by DNR's signage, posted regulations and safe shooting practices.
- Remember to pick up after yourself.
- Be aware of your surroundings and backdrop.
OVERVIEW
Updated 6/16/23
- An RFP for the Range Operator/Managing Partner will be advertised as soon as the facility lease agreement wording and obligations of parties has been finalized.
- After an Operating/Management partner has been identified the Master Plan will be brought to County Council for consideration of adoption.
- In the meantime, DNR’s timber sale on the property is moving forward. Sierra Pacific will start logging next fall/winter. The logging contract will expire no later than 3/31/24.
- The selected site will be reconveyed to the Snohomish County Division of Parks and Recreation following the harvesting of the timber.
- The design of the master plan was completed in June 2021 with input and oversight being given by an ad hoc committee composed of various shooting interests, neighbors, supporters and concerned residents.
- This draft master plan will be going to County Council for review in 2022.
Sky Valley Sportsman's Park project is an undeveloped, Department of Natural Resources (DNR)-owned piece of property in east Snohomish County near the City of Sultan, just off of the Sultan Basin Road. The property is approximately 640 acres fronting on the Sultan Basin Road and surrounded by other DNR land. This park is intended to be developed into a multi-purpose shooting range and will be managed through a public-private or public-nonprofit partnership. The property is approximately 640 acres on the Sultan Basin Road and surrounded by other DNR land. The selected site will be reconveyed to Parks following the harvesting of the timber fall/winter of 2024. This means that the development of the sportsman's park is unlikely to begin sooner than spring of 2025.
The County’s 1986 Comprehensive Park and Recreation Plan first notes provision of a shooting and archery facility as a long-term goal. This goal is continued in the County’s 2001 and 2007 Comprehensive Park and Recreation Plans as well as the 2015 Park and Recreation Element.
A feasibility study for a shooting and archery range on several sites in the County was completed by a consulting firm in July of 1994. This study indicated that the Sultan Basin site was most feasible for a shooting and archery range. Between 1997 and 2002 an extensive public outreach process was conducted which culminated in a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in April 2002. As part of the EIS, a number of studies were completed, however due to the passage of time, conditions may have changed requiring some of these studies to be re-done.
Snohomish County staff began working in 2002 with State DNR staff to initiate the reconveyance of the Sultan Basin Road property. The reconveyance of this site, for the purpose of a recreational shooting and archery range, was completed in December 2011. Since December 2011, Park Department staff has met multiple times with proponents and opponents of the proposed shooting and archery range. It is clear there is strong support and vocal opposition to the development of a public sportsman's park.
Proceeding with the goal of developing a sportsman's park, a team led by Bruce Dees and Associates, L.L.C. was selected through a Request for Qualifications process (RFQ No. 10-13) to develop a master plan for the site that lays out the desired elements of a multi-use shooting park to maximize the usage of the site while protecting environmentally sensitive area and leaving appropriate buffers to reduce sound impacts on the surrounding properties. The RFQ was issued July 29, 2013 and two teams of consultants responded. The Statements of Qualifications were evaluated by a committee of three people and the team of Bruce Dees and Associates, L.L.C. was selected on September 5, 2013 as the best team for this project. The selection was approved by the Snohomish County Purchasing Department.
In the early stages of design, during the Critical Area Study, a very large and high-quality wetland was evaluated in the middle of the property which effectively made the selected site unsuitable for a shooting range. Contracted design work was halted while Parks worked with DNR to select a different parcel. The contract time ran out before a replacement parcel could be identified. In late 2019, Parks and DNR identified a new parcel, across the road from the original one, and has verified that this property is much more suited for use as a shooting range. The selected site will be reconveyed to Parks following the harvesting of the timber in 2024. Snohomish County Purchasing Department determined that the original RFQ is still valid for this project as the scope has remained effectively unchanged.
The cost of design and planning services for this master plan project, originally contracted at $287,778.00, was revised to fall within the park’s then-current budget of $204,555.00. The design of the master plan is now completed. The engineer's estimate for a completely built out and non-value engineered "premium model" sportsman's park is listed at $47M as of June 2021. The actual price is expected to be far less. Development of the shooting park is expected to require several phases of construction over several years as funding is acquired and accumulated via user fees.
The management and operation of a shooting and archery facility is not a core competency of the Snohomish County Parks & Recreation Division. Therefore, the county shall be soliciting a management and operating partner via the request for proposal (RFP) process. Parks is currently preparing the documents for advertising this process. Any individuals or organizations interested in entering into a public/private partnership to operate the shooting facility are encouraged to contact us via the contact links below.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
On behalf of the Snohomish County Parks team, thank you for your interest in the proposed Sky Valley Sportsman's Park. This is a facility that has been identified as a priority in order to provide a safe, legal shooting location since 1986 and efforts have been underway for many years to identify an appropriate location, identify types of amenities to be provided and to address concerns associated with shooting ranges. Parks staff have been working diligently to identify and address the public concerns related to the sportsman’s park. During the public meetings that have been held in years past, and most recently on 2/24/21, the primary concerns raised have been as follows:
- Noise
- Safety
- Traffic
- Lead contamination and other environmental impacts
- Allocation of county resources into running the facility
Please read the Frequently Asked Questions below for responses addressing these concerns and other areas of interest. We also recommend watching the presentation video going into detail about the intentional design and purpose of this facility (linked below). If you have further questions, please reach out to our planning team at any time (see contact information below). We value transparency of information on all our projects. It has been the Park Division’s intention to be open, conscientious, and responsive in addressing these concerns in the placement, design and layout of the facility. Thank you!
How can the public get involved with this process?
A series of public meetings have been held for this project. The public input from these outreach efforts was incorporated into a draft master plan. This draft master plan will be going to County Council for review in early 2022. The best way for the public to voice their opinions is to contact their County Councilmember and/or the County Executive with their thoughts of support or concerns. No additional public meetings are currently scheduled. However, an Environmental Impact Statement is planned for development and there will be the opportunity for public comment through that process.
Who owns the land where the project is being planned?
The current landowner is the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and is located in east Snohomish County near the City of Sultan. The property is approximately 640 acres fronting on the Sultan Basin Road and surrounded by other DNR land. The property is planned to be transferred to Snohomish County through a reconveyance process. This park is intended to be developed into a multi-purpose sportsman’s park and will be managed through a public-private or public-nonprofit partnership. The selected site will be reconveyed to Snohomish County Parks following the harvesting of the timber in the fall/winter of 2024. The development of the sportsman's park is unlikely to begin sooner than spring of 2025.
Why is this project being developed?
This is a facility that has been identified as a priority for the county in order to provide a safe, legal shooting location and efforts have been underway for many years to identify an appropriate location, identify types of amenities to be provided and to address concerns associated with shooting ranges. This type of facility has been identified as a priority in the 1986, 2001 and 2007 Comprehensive Park and Recreation Plans as well as in the 2015 Parks and Recreation Element.
Snohomish County does not have a facility that supports recreational shooting and firearms training. A high percentage of the county population are gun owners. People are looking for places to engage in recreational target shooting (both firearm and archery) and to practice the safe handling of their firearms. Because the need for this type of facility has not been met, many people go to the outlying, semi-remote areas and DNR lands to engage in such activities. Unfortunately, this is not well organized, coordinated or supervised and as such creates a safety and pollution concern. The Sky Valley Sportsman’s Park will provide a practical way to meet recreational needs while providing increased safety and environmental protection.
How can the public get involved with this process?
A series of public meetings have been held for this project. The public input from these outreach efforts was incorporated into a draft master plan. This draft master plan will be going to County Council for review in early 2022. The best way for the public to voice their opinions is to contact their County Councilmember and/or the County Executive with their thoughts of support or concerns. No additional public meetings are currently scheduled. However, an Environmental Impact Statement is planned for development and there will be the opportunity for public comment through that process.
The engineers’ estimate for project construction is $47M. Why is that the estimated cost?
This number reflects the engineers’ estimate of what the project will cost to construct. This is an educated guess of how much it would cost to construct the facility in its “premium model” form, at the time the estimate was calculated (May 2021). It is highly unlikely that the development would occur without significant value engineering to reduce costs where feasible. It is also presumed that construction would occur through multiple phases and that revenue generated through user fees collected from early phase(s) would be utilized to help build later phases.
Once the facility is built, how much revenue will go back into Snohomish County Parks?
It is envisioned a private vendor will operate the sportsman’s park with the county. The Parks Division has many similar agreements for using other park sites. These agreements are structured to provide recreation opportunities, offset the need for county staff to operate and maintain the property and provide compensation to the county for using the space. The amount of compensation has yet to be determined, and the investment the private operator will be providing for the site’s development will be a factor in the determination.
Will the county be using taxpayer dollars to purchase firearms or ammunition?
No. County investment in the sportsman’s park facility to date has only been for the development of the site plan. Any future funding that the county may provide for the project would only be for site development, which would not include firearms or ammunition. The plan for the site focuses on the overall site layout and the building amenities. Much of the cost associated with the project would go towards safety and impact reduction. At least $12M is devoted to baffling of the ranges to contain both projectiles and minimize sound leaving the site.
Can you please explain the breakdown and how that money is justified being used here?
The Snohomish County Parks & Recreation Division has facilities for all kinds of recreational activities from equestrian trails to off-leash dog areas to field sports complexes. Snohomish County does not have a facility that supports recreational shooting and firearms training. A high percentage of the county population are gun owners. People are looking for places to engage in recreational target shooting (both firearm and archery) and to practice the safe handling of their firearms. Because the need for this type of facility has not been met, many people go to the outlying, semi-remote areas and DNR lands to engage in such activities. Unfortunately, this is not well organized, coordinated or supervised and as such creates a safety and pollution concern. The Sky Valley Sportsman’s Park will provide a practical way to meet recreational needs while providing increased safety and environmental protection.
There is also a local economic benefit to such a facility as it is anticipated to be an attractive venue for hosting regional marksmanship competitions of various disciplines, bringing visitor spending to the area.
The land is currently owned by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. Are they supportive of this project?
Currently, the proposed site is still under the ownership of the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The site, as many DNR properties are, has been used frequently by people for recreational shooting. As it currently stands, this is being done in an unmonitored and coordinated manner. DNR is appreciative and supportive of this project because it will give people a place to practice recreational firearm and archery use that will be in a controlled, safe and environmentally protective location. This will decrease misuse or abuse of other local forested DNR/Forest Service lands for these activities.
Why is the project being planned at this location?
The future site for the Sky Valley Sportsman's Park facility was selected with the assistance of the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR). DNR is supportive of this project to reduce the illicit or irresponsible use of their lands by casual shooters who don’t abide by the rules of use. Furthermore, some shooters don’t pick up after themselves, leaving truckloads of debris to accumulate and be dealt with by DNR staff. These are activities that are currently happening all throughout DNR managed properties.
The county currently owns land that is near the proposed site. This was acquired to be used as the original shooting range site. However, it was found to be unsuitable for this purpose primarily due to the existence of a very large, high-quality wetland that occupies most of the property. DNR worked with county staff to locate an alternative property that included appropriate terrain, topographical orientation and minimal residential neighbors.
How will the Sky Valley Sportsman’s Park be operated? Have you chosen a vendor/concessionaire yet?
The county intends to partner with an entity (a private individual or business, or non-profit organization) that is experienced in managing and operating a sportsman's park. Operating a shooting facility is not a core competency of the Snohomish County Parks and Recreation Division and therefore, the county intends to partner with an outside entity with expertise in operating and maintaining the facility. This approach has been supported by the Snohomish County Council and has not changed. In this model, the county provides the facility, and the outside entity will run it with certain conditions and oversight for accountability. The Evergreen Speedway at the Evergreen Fair Park in Monroe (a Snohomish County Park property) is operated like this. The outside group that will operate the facility will be selected through a competitive process.
What organizations are being considered to operate the site? What will be the process for selection?
Snohomish County Parks is currently in the process of releasing a Request for Interest (RFI) to identify potential operators and to seek input from shooting range operators as to the approach taken for development. Once the responses to the RFI are received, the master plan is approved by Snohomish County Council and a development strategy has been identified, a competitive process to identify the future operator will start. The selected operator will be required to enter into an agreement with the county which will outline requirements for operation, county oversight and responsibilities, and a fee structure.
You have contracted with Bruce Dees and Associates, LLC for the design and building contract. What was the process for selecting them and who else was considered for this?
Awarding of contracts is administered through the Snohomish County Purchasing Department. These commonly take the form of either bidding (for construction or products) or Requests For Qualifications (RFQ) for professional services (typically architecture or engineering). The designer for the sportsman's park was determined through the RFQ process where applicants were scored and selected based upon their responses to specific criteria.
There were two design team applicants who responded to the RFQ and submitted application packets: Bruce Dees and Associates and Skillings Connelly. Bruce Dees and Associates was selected for this project based on their submittal and interview. The contract is linked in the documents section.
Why was an Arizona architecture contract used? What architecture firms were contacted or offered a bid?
Bruce Dees & Associates was selected as the prime consultant for the design project and selected a subconsultant. They chose a nationally recognized architecture subconsultant who specializes in shooting range design. The firms selected for architecture are at the discretion of Bruce Dees & Associates, although subconsultants are identified in the RFQ submittal package and the expertise of the team is a factor in consultant selection.
What studies have been done so far?
- Environmental Noise Impact Report was completed on 5/28/21 (see copy in documents section)
- Critical Areas Reconnaissance (May 2019) (see copy in documents section)
Additional anticipated studies:
An Environmental Impact Study (EIS) is anticipated to be completed for the project, but the timing has not yet been determined. This study will be completed when the property is transferred to the county and funding is secured to complete the EIS. The EIS will inventory and document all anticipated impacts (both positive and negative) and will list ways to mitigate the negative impacts.
How will the Sky Valley Sportsman’s Park affect wildlife in the area?
The property for the project is currently owned and managed by the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR). DNR identified the site with the intent to avoid critical areas, minimize impacts to private property and take advantage of beneficial topographical features for orienting the shooting range. There was a Critical Areas Reconnaissance, completed in May 2019 by the firm ESA. This was done to determine the location and extent of critical areas. This information was used to determine the suitability of the site for use as a shooting park. This study is linked in the documents section on this webpage and the design has been completed to avoid impacts to critical areas, which provide important wildlife habitat. In addition, further evaluation of how the site may impact wildlife will completed as part of the EIS process.
Lead Contamination/Environmental Concerns
Snohomish County Parks & Recreation is committed to being good stewards of the environment and responsive to public identified concerns. Fortunately, the topographic landform, natural hydrologic flow, and location of the critical areas within the site support protection of natural resources in the area along with integrated design features.
The project design consultants have incorporated design elements that conform to the best management practices for lead at outdoor shooting ranges as set forth in the EPA publication EPA-902-B-01-001 including:
- Bullet and fragment containment
- Preventing migration of lead to the subsurface and surrounding surface water bodies
- Removal and recycling of the lead from the range
- Documentation of activities and record keeping (this is a procedural best management practice and will be a requirement of the facility lease contract)
In addition, removing bullets from the impact areas on a regular interval will be required as a condition of the operating lease, and stormwater facilities will be designed for lead removal. The requirement for lead reclamation is not only an environmentally responsible requirement but it is also economically beneficial as the material has value and can be recycled. All stormwater collecting structures will be designed for any lead to settle out of the stormwater. Throughout the facility, structures will be designed to facilitate lead removal and reclamation. For more details on this process, please watch the video recording of the 2/24/21 meeting on the webpage.
Hydrologic Flow/Watershed Concerns
Concerns have been raised about the flow of water from the Sky Valley Sportsman’s Park to downstream sites and the potential for contaminants to move with that flow. As noted under the lead contamination concern question, the site is designed for control and containment of all lead for reclamation, and prevention of lead migration of lead to subsurface and surface water bodies. Any other contaminants generated by the facility will be handled by following all regulations (e.g., stormwater treatment and handling). The site topography moves water to the low ground critical area in the SE corner of the site. All water leaving the site will meet water quality requirements. This property is not hydrologically linked to Lake Bronson as the previous site was.
Critical Area Concerns
As noted above, a critical areas study has been completed for the site and the project design locates features outside wetland boundaries and buffers.
Intentional Design & Baffling
Noise concerns are a common issue related to shooting parks. While it is not possible for noise to be completely contained, the intentional design and location for the sportsman’s park seeks to significantly reduce noise impacts. The design team, Snohomish County Parks staff, the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the ad hoc steering committee have been proactive in seeking to address noise issues from the very beginning of this process. Site selection took noise concerns into consideration and the selected property is in an area surrounded by other heavily forested DNR properties. The topography and forest cover are beneficial to sound baffling and absorption. The site has relatively few neighbors within a .5-mile radius.
In addition, sound capturing and absorbing structures (baffling) are incorporated into the design. These structures are included in the engineers’ estimate and account for over $12M of the total project cost. The shooting range architect stated that this is the shooting range with the most baffling that he has designed and that he knows of in the United States. The site characteristics also help support noise minimization as the orientation of the range faces north, away from Sultan and populous areas. The range also faces into a large hill which serves to stop the projectiles and includes vegetation which will help absorb the sound.
Noise Study
An Environmental Noise Impact Report was completed on 5/28/21. This document was completed by Stantec and is linked in the documents section of this webpage. Stantec completed this analysis using site surveys, area maps, analysis of existing literature on gun noise profiles, draft conceptual site layout drawings and existing ambient noise measurements at the site and at the closest noise-sensitive receptors (measured on April 29 thru May 2, 2021). Please see the full study for summary, tables, county code, noise fundamentals and terminology, and other common outdoor/indoor noise levels for comparison.
Anticipated noise levels included in the study were predicted using SoundPlan acoustic modeling software. SoundPlan uses standardized prediction techniques and accounts for distance, topography, vegetation and the effect of shielding and reflections produced by buildings and acoustic barriers.
Noise generation associated with the proposed Sky Valley Sportsman’s Park was considered for both short-term project construction activities and the long-term site activity due to guests and various impulse sounds from firearms. The short-term construction activities include clearing and grubbing, site grading, construction of the building and apparatuses, and construction traffic. Construction impacts are temporary and will be mitigated by establishing specific work hours to reduce impacts to neighbors during evenings and weekends.
The long-term activities that will generate noise at the new shooting range site is primarily the discharge of firearms. Shots will likely be heard at the closest adjacent residential area periodically, although noise dampening berms and/or barriers are included to minimize noise impacts. On a typical day, the discharge noise from these firearms would exceed the night-time limits outlined in the Snohomish Noise Code (this park will not be operated during nighttime hours in order to minimize disturbance to the nearby residents). During large competitions, exceeding the daytime limits outlined in the Snohomish Noise Code are expected periodically but not often. The master plan has included noise dampening features extensively throughout the site, including baffling.
How will the noise affect wildlife?
There is not a clear methodology to evaluate how the noise generated by the sportsman’s park will impact wildlife. The project has sought to incorporate noise dampening features to the maximum extent feasible, which will reduce impacts to wildlife. Additionally, by focusing shooting activity in one location, versus the current scattered locations, the impact area to wildlife may be reduced.
Traffic Concerns
Traffic on Hwy 2 is a pre-existing concern of this area. The Sky Valley Sportsman’s Park is not anticipated to contribute in any measurable way to traffic concerns, as people who want to go to the local DNR land to shoot are already doing so. The same applies to Sultan Basin Road as many people take that route to access places to shoot. When competitions and other events take place at the site, “dry camping” will be available for some participants to stay on site, which could minimize vehicle trips to and from the property. Permitting for development of the property will require a traffic study and further analysis will happen at that time.
What safety considerations are you making with this project?
The park is being designed with safety as a priority. The noise baffling described in the noise concern section has an additional purpose of stopping projectiles from leaving the property. The placement and orientation of the baffles function like large louvers and make it physically impossible for a projectile to overshoot the target backstops and peripheral berms. The containment berms are sized, spaced and oriented to absorb ricocheted projectiles as well as the direct line of flight.
Currently, the site is used by casual shooters in an uncontrolled manner with people shooting in all directions, sometimes without regard to backdrops and trajectories. Many Washington Department of Natural Resource (DNR) lands are used in this way and use is unmonitored as DNR doesn’t have the staff to ensure proper shooting protocols are followed. The benefit to providing this controlled, monitored and maintained facility will mean greater safety both to users and neighbors.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
PROJECT MANAGER
Thomas Hartzell, Senior Park Planner
6705 Puget Park Dr.
Snohomish, WA 98296
(425) 388-6695
thomas.hartzell@co.snohomish.wa.us
For archived documents, please contact Thomas Hartzell.