The Department of Land and Natural Resources commissioned additional sound testing at the proposed Puuanahulu Shooting Range on Hawaii Island Thursday. These live-fire shooting tests will lead to a computerized visual characterization of sound levels at various sites across the
The Department of Land and Natural Resources commissioned additional sound testing at the proposed Puuanahulu Shooting Range on Hawaii Island Thursday. These live-fire shooting tests will lead to a computerized visual characterization of sound levels at various sites across the one-square mile range and surrounding areas, according to the state agency.
“This test (Thursday) differs from the prior tests that were conducted, in that it will be used to inform a computer model that will show a visual depiction of how sound would transmit across this landscape and help the state in its decision making process going forward with this proposal,” said Catie Cullison, a planner with consulting firm PBR Hawaii.
Censeo AV Acoustics of Kailua was retained by DLNR to measure sound levels in the preparation of environmental documents for the long-planned range and project advocates from On Target Inc., conducted the live fire exercise.
“The software model will allow us to include things like the topographical info, the ground cover, wind speed and direction and atmospheric conditions,” said Todd Beiler of Censeo AV Acoustics. “We can include all of those things in the sound model. We can manipulate that depending on what conditions we want to analyze and then predict what sound levels are to any areas nearby.”
Long sought by shooting sports enthusiasts and hunting advocates on the Big Island, Puuanahulu Shooting Range is proposed for a mile square tract of lava flow, mauka of Queen Kaahumanu Highway, about a mile southeast of Waikoloa. It would supplement the only other public shooting range on Hawaii Island, Hilo Trap and Skeet Range, which is limited to shotgun shooting.
“We have an open grant for pre-construction activities to assess range development on Hawaii Island and on Kauai,” said Andrew Choy, DLNR’s hunter education coordinator. “Gun clubs and shooting sports enthusiasts on both islands have been asking for many decades for dedicated ranges at which to practice their sports and skills.”
