Plattsburgh Town Council passes Cumberland Head rifle fire ban

Local News

Discussion

PLEASE NOTE: There is a 150 word maximum for comments. All comments greater than 150 words in length will be deleted in their entirety.

ALSO NOTE: Derisive name-calling of an individual or group will result in the entire comment being deleted. This includes the terms "stupid" and "idiot" and similar references.

Welcome to our new online comments feature. Before you can join the discussion, you must first register with Disqus and verify your email address.

Once you do, your comments will post after they have been reviewed by a moderator.

We welcome your thoughts and your opinions, including unpopular ones. We ask only that you keep the conversation civil and clean.

Not all comments are deemed printable. Some are disqualified, at the newspaper’s discretion, for a number of reasons. Here are some typical practices to avoid in trying to get your comment printed:

There is a 150 word maximum for comments. All comments greater than 150 words in length will be deleted in their entirety.

Don’t state as a fact something that is unsubstantiated or that our editors wouldn't know to be true.

Don’t presume someone’s guilt in a case when it hasn't been established by a court.

Don’t assail or impugn an identifiable individual or group. If you have that kind of criticism, sign your name and submit it as a Letter to the Editor. (There is some leeway on this in connection with public officials, but it is not unconditional.)

Don’t use profanity. This includes the term “tea bagger.”

Don’t be incendiary or tasteless. Those qualities are subjective, of course, and our editors will be the arbiters.

Do not identify yourself in the main content area of the article content form. Only by enforcing this rule can the moderators prevent unscrupulous commenters from falsely identifying themselves as someone they are not.

Don't type in all caps. It is considered the Internet equivalent of shouting.

In sports articles, do not criticize officiating.

Remember, moderators are not allowed to edit any article comments. If an article comment fails any of the above criteria, the entire comment will be deleted.

We monitor comments Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Approval of comments outside these times may be delayed.

comments powered by Disqus

July 25, 2010

By DAN HEATH Staff Writer The Press Republican Sun Jul 25, 2010, 03:28 AM EDT

PLATTSBURGH — The Town of Plattsburgh has passed a local law that bans rifle fire on Cumberland Head.

The measure was adopted to protect the safety of Cumberland Head residents and those who travel its roads, including the heavily traveled connector road.

"We are telling people that in this area, this is not a safe way to hunt," Town Supervisor Bernie Bassett said.

The law doesn't ban other legal weapons, such as shotguns, muzzle loaders, black powder firearms and bow and arrow.

"This is not an attempt to ban hunting on Cumberland Head," Town Councilor Gerard Renadette affirmed.

Councilor Martin Mannix said the issue was first brought to his attention as he ran for office in 2007. He was surprised to learn that rifle hunting was going on in that area.

"I think this is the right thing for us to do. I don't think we are infringing on the rights of hunters in any way."

The law makes firing a rifle on Cumberland Head a misdemeanor. It is punishable by a fine of $50 to $500 and/or imprisonment up to six months.

The Cumberland Head area is defined as all lands east of Route 9 in the Town of Plattsburgh, starting at the intersection of that road and Interstate 87 and extending north to the boundary of the Town of Beekmantown.

A rifle is defined as a weapon designed or redesigned, made or remade and intended to be fired from the shoulder, using the energy off the explosive to fire a single projectile through a rifle bore for each pull of the trigger.

Exceptions include self defense and law-enforcement officers in performance of their duties.

Bassett said the town will give notices to those who issue hunting licenses and to area law-enforcement agencies that cover Cumberland Head.

The town will also install signs to inform the public and travelers about the law.

The law goes into effect once it is filed with the New York Department of State, which is expected to happen soon.