T&T: Fw: [AGLCA-2006:1732] Great Lakes HSCG Live Fire Training

[Jeff Bacon]

Western Lake Erie has had a firing range for some time, and it is not intrusive. Regular VHF broadcasts, warning buoys, patrols, posted notices, and chart indications clearly indicate it's presence.

You indicate 

>Notification will be published in advance of exercizes (it was not clear how
>that notification will work they said they would use VHF, but many boats
>cannot even hear the VHF while underway, and tend to desregard USCG
>annoucements anyway)"

Let's try to keep these people off the water............. Jeff



-----Original Message-----
>From: Ted Stehle <ewstehle@fuse.net>
>Sent: Nov 3, 2006 7:14 AM
>To: Trawlers & Trawlering <trawlers-and-trawlering@lists.samurai.com>
>Cc: Bob Kunath <bobkunath@att.net>
>Subject: T&T: Fw: [AGLCA-2006:1732] Great Lakes HSCG Live Fire Training
>
>Thought this might be of interest.
>
>
>Ted Stehle
>Cruising & News Editor
>Waterway Guide
>www.waterwayguide.com
>tstehle@waterwayguide.com
>
>
>
>As a followup to the posts a few weeks ago, the USCG is planning to establish
>safety zones on the Great Lakes for small arms live fire training.  We
>attended a public hearing last night in Waukegan, IL, here's a summary of
>their presentations:
>
>1.  There will be 34 zones in the Great Lakes, including 14 in Lake Michigan.
>            Comment was that so many sites are required to be near all USCG
>stations
>2.  Zone sizes vary widely, average about 75 square miles
>3.  Zones will are planned about 5 miles from shore, in at least 30 feet
>water, away from shipping lanes and water intakes.
>4.  USCG small boats will be equipped with 7.62 mm machiine guns, requiring
>live practice
>5.  Zones will be closed and used mainly in off-season (around April and
>October), several days per year, 4-6 hours per session.  Special events, such
>as yacht club races across the lake and through zones will be avoided.
>Notification will be published in advance of exercizes (it was not clear how
>that notification will work they said they would use VHF, but many boats
>cannot even hear the VHF while underway, and tend to desregard USCG
>annoucements anyway).
>6.  Two boats will participate in each session:  One to practice fire, the
>(with radar) to watch for traffic.  Sessions may be at night.
>7.  Environmental impact from lead bullets into the water expected to be
>minimal.
>
>In conversation with some of the officers, I noted that there are two zones
>each in the path of both the Badger and Lake Express ferries.  Their response
>was that they would keep lookout and suspend firing as the ferries pass.
>
>Their comment was that the range of the guns was 4000 yards, well within the
>effective visible and radar range of the lookout boats.
>
>When asked why Graet Lakes guardsmen need to be tranied in machine guns, the
>answer given by Captain Bruce Jones (Sector Commander of all 24 stations in
>Lake Michigan) was that "all guardsmen everywhere need to be trained to handle
>a stiuation anywhere."  He recalled the Katrina emergency where properly
>trained personnel from the Great Lakes were sent to New Orleans to assist in
>that emergency.
>
>For more information, here's the USCG info site on this issue:
>
>http://www.uscgd9safetyzones.com
>
>Comments may be submitted at this site until November 13:
>
>http://dms.dot.gov   Document Number: 25767
>
>
>
>Bob Kunath
>Waterway Guide Cruising Editor, Lake Michigan
>
>Bob & Carol Kunath
>Sans Souci
>Pacific Seacraft 38T
>bobkunath@att.net
>Tel: 847 540 8175
>cell: 847 921 8175
>
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