The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to restrict target shooting in San Diego County's backcountry near Dulzura, citing a 2017 wildfire that was sparked by gunfire.
The board passed an ordinance 3-2 that would restrict target shooting in the Donahoe Mountain area, with supervisors Kristen Gaspar and Bill Horn dissenting.
Gaspar said she could not vote for the ordinance because it was not the board of supervisor's jurisdiction but rather the Bureau of Land Management's.
"If BLM wants to further restrict this land, where are they? It is their decision to make, not an overreach by this board," Gaspar said ahead of the vote. "I simply cannot approve an overreach by this board today, so I will be voting no."
The Bureau of Land Management had already banned shooting in the area during times of high fire danger but Supervisor Dianne Jacob has proposed that restrictions stay in place year-round.
The local National Rifle Association chapter and other gun rights groups encouraged their members to show up at the meeting to speak before the board.
When Gaspar made her comments, some cheers could be heard from the crowd.
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Jacob has pushed for the shooting ban for years, but the push grew stronger after the May 2017 Gate Fire, which was sparked by gunfire before flames burned more than 2,000 acres.
Some said the push is unnecessary because the majority of gun owners are careful and responsible.
"There's people that don't take those things into consideration and they should, you know, they cause a nuisance and give the rest of us shooting enthusiasts, they give us a bad rap," gun owner John Dupree said shortly after the Gate Fire.
Jacob said the wildfire threat is just part of the issue. Residents have also complained about trash and stray bullets coming close to their homes.
