Peavine Mountain has been plagued with complaints about shooting near homes for years, and the Washoe Board of County Commissioners is expected to take up the issue at a meeting in May.
Commissioner Jeanne Herman said at Tuesday’s County Commission meeting that she is working with the county community services department and Washoe County Sheriff’s Office to develop a multiple-use plan for the area, where shooting will be allowed in designated areas.
The new plan comes in the wake of historic conflicts between shooters and hikers and bikers.
Commissioner Kitty Jung said that the plan is needed quickly because of safety concerns but that hikers bear some responsibility for their safety.
“Unfortunately, I want to say this to the hikers: Please talk to your group too because we’ve got reports that hikers can be quite aggressive, walking into these people and telling them, ‘you can’t shoot here,'” she said Tuesday. “I think you should wear an orange vest, I think you should have a whistle, I think you need to take responsibility for your own safety.”
Jung stressed that the plan needs to be developed quickly before anyone gets shot and that the Sheriff’s Office is going to step up enforcement. The Sheriff’s Office encourages residents to call 785-9276 to report illegal shooting.
A Facebook group, “Promoting Safety on Peavine Trails,” tracks and monitors shooting concerns on Peavine.
