Lewis, New York– The Adirondack Mountains are a vast expanse of forested mountains known for The haunting call of the madmenThe crackle of campfires and the soft rustle of kayak paddles on quiet lakes.
Should howitzers be allowed to flourish here too?
An unprecedented proposal to test large artillery in a rural Adirondack Park town has angered some residents and conservationists, and park organizers are holding a rare public hearing on the proposal.
Opponents fear that the explosions that occurred on private lands will disrupt the calm and perhaps… Scary mooseAnd deer, bears and birds. Ecologists also point out that the proposed range lies near state-owned forest land and fear that large explosions could threaten the patchwork of private and public lands that comprise the 6 million-acre (2.4 million hectare) park.
“I hunt. I shoot. I reload guns. I know guns,” Dan Canavan said at the home he shares with his wife, Lanita, about a mile (1.6 kilometers) from the proposed test range in Lewes. “You can’t be equal 155 mm howitzer With a hunting rifle, but this is how he sold it.”
Private military contractor Michael Hubert says tests of howitzer barrels will support national security, and stresses that any noise – once it travels through the forest to the nearest neighbour – will not be as loud as other sounds common in rural life, such as saws and firearms.
Hopmeyer wants to set up a test range off a country road, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) west of Lake Champlain.
Under the proposal, steel projectiles would be fired from barrels up to 155 millimeters (about 6 inches) wide 30 times a year at a distance of about two football fields. Tests will be conducted at midday on weekdays, no more than twice a day. A metal charging container filled with sand and gravel can catch projectiles that do not contain explosive warheads.
“We don’t investigate explosive devices. We don’t blow things up,” Hobmeyer recently told officials in a nearby town.
He said his company wants to evaluate things like barrel wear and recoil for the military. Regulators with the Adirondack Park Agency have requested more information several times since the initial 2021 application.
Hopmeier’s company, Unconventional Concepts, Inc., said in the application that the tests would support research at a U.S. Army laboratory at Watervliet Arsenal, about two hours south. There is no current contract, but Hopmeier said in an email that they could accept government contracts after obtaining testing authority.
The Army’s DEVCOM Armament Center said in an email that it has no current plans to test howitzers at the Adirondack site, “but may consider future artillery testing based on Army priorities.”
The proposed range would be near a Cold War-era site Nuclear missile silo Hopmeier was purchased in 2015 — one of a dozen companies that once surrounded the now-defunct Plattsburgh Air Force Base. Today, the site of the old silo is used for research.
The actual artillery test will be conducted on land close to the site. Although the area is remote, 44 homes are within 2 miles (3.22 kilometers) of the proposed testing range.
Howitzer explosions are extremely loud – about 180 decibels at the source, which is the noise level Louder than most fireworks And more than enough for Cause hearing loss And physical harm.
While the testing will be conducted far from popular Adirondack attractions such as Lake Placid and Lake George, Hopmeyer’s proposal has attracted widespread interest. More than 1,400 comments from the public were sent to state regulators, with only 19 expressing support.
Lanita Canavan, a city councillor, is concerned about the loss of the tranquil character of the remote municipality of about 1,300 people, and the birds being driven from their feeders. April Gilder wonders what testing is affecting local waters.
“Who’s on our side? That’s my question,” Gilder asked at a recent informational meeting at the city fire hall. “I don’t feel like there’s anyone doing it, which is kind of frustrating.”
Some had already taken umbrage with Hobmeier over the “Jaded Thunder” military exercise last September, which included his property and helicopters from the US Army’s Fort Drum base. Many people complained about the helicopters flying low and shooting. One area resident said she felt like she was in the movie “Apocalypse Now.”
Although the howitzer proposal is separate, some residents see it as another disruption related to Hobmeyer.
However, Jim Pulsipher, who owns the proposed proving ground, said if he thought the noise would be too loud, he wouldn’t participate. He said that since this business would help the country and bring much-needed employment opportunities to the region, he offered his land for free.
“I know a lot of people moved to the Adirondacks for a little peace and quiet,” said Pulsipher, who lives near the testing site. “Well, people have to live in the Adirondacks too—and make a living.”
After several delays, a public hearing is now scheduled for April 22nd. An administrative law judge is expected to spend months exploring whether the experimental howitzers are compatible with the park’s rules and nature.
Hopmaier questioned whether the park agency had the authority to prevent him from testing, but said regulatory approval from them “makes things cleaner.” However, he also filed a lawsuit seeking to invalidate the council’s vote to hold the hearing, arguing that a member with prior ties to an environmental group should have abstained from the vote.
“Allowing them to treat me unfairly and ignore basic rights is a disservice to my community and my country, so I will continue to fight,” Hobmeyer wrote.