" The City of American Canyon can try, but ultimately they have no power to curb hunting along the Napa River because they have no jurisdiction over the State property on which it is occuring. People who are frightened about hunting just need to educate themselves. The majority of hunters are well educated and very safe. All are required to attend Hunter Safety classes before obtaining a license to hunt. The waterfowl season is only three months of the year, and most of the shots are fired before 8:00 AM. The shooting 150 yards from an occupied dwelling is perfectly legal, and the shotgun's steel pellets are only lethal at less than around 50 yards, and fall to the ground at 100 yards. The anti-hunting component of this trail is really only the based on a few people who have moral issues with the long standing tradition of hunting in this area, and those that bought houses along Wetlands Edge without doing their due diligence to know that hunting is an allowable use of the adjoining state property. Trails adjoining wetland areas that permit hunting are common, and have co-existed together without incident for a hundred or more years. "

" Once again anti-hunters/anti-gun owners are trying to ruin it for the rest of us! I am glad they are making this trail but if it impacts hunting then I will be against it. People have been hunting it this area long before Anthony Lauser and the other residents lived their.

If you take away hunting and guns you are just going to turn good law abiding citizens into poachers and criminals real fast! "

" Nice to see the City of American Canyon going with a local firm! Now if Napa would do the same ... "

" Looking forward to the traill opening! And thank you Detritus for the information concerning the safety of hunting near the trail (or vice versa really). I'm glad your comment was first. Your information is clear and logical. Hunting and trails can and do mix. "

" I assume the "in" color for hikers this season will be bright orange? "

" Right On, American Canyon.

And thanks to the US taxpayers. "

" First I would like to thank Detridus for the fine and thoughtfull comments on hunting in these wetlands. The American Canyon Unit has been a part of the Napa Solano Marshes for many many years. I hunt this marsh regularly. I set my GPS with flags along the fenceline on Wetlands Edge Road and set my proximity warnings at 250 yards to insure compliance with the 150 yard safety rule. I also never shoot toward the homes as I don't want to alarm people who might not understand the limits of our shotguns. Nor do I want to lose a bird in the brush between the marsh and the road. I have a great respect for the birds I hunt. My family dines on all that I harvest.

My License and stamp fees (close to $100) payed for this wetlands restroration and I get to use them Three days a week for three months. The other four days a week for three months and nine months out of the year is our gift to our community.

And I am very excited about the trails. As a Founding Member of Friends Of American Canyon Open Spaces, I want to see all of our citizens enjoy the beauty I see in the wild areas around our community. A big thanks to our Open Space Advisory Committee and specificaly Barry Christain. Good job folks.

One last thing. The Game Wardens are always monitoring this area. They will cite anyone breaking the law. Citizens are encouraged to report game violations to 1(800) CAL-TIPS. "

" That's great news! Now if they can do something about the traffic congestion on the 29 would be awesome! "

" Jumping to conclusions.
The NVR did not report the detail on the hunting issue. There was never a call to ban hunting and there was never an issue about gun ownership. In fact, I told the city council that we must keep the tradition of walk in access to hunting in American Canyon.

Detritus, if you check your DF&G hunting map, the American Canyon Unit that is open for hunting is not in question. The area that is marked "Private Property" is. What I requested is that hunting in this area should be moved back another 350 yds from Wetlands edge Rd. This is not a safety issue, I'm well aware of the 150 yd "safety zone", but remember this regulation was established for open field hunting where you had barns, farm houses, utility sheds, etc. within a hunting area. It was never meant to be 150 yds from neighborhoods. I hunt, fish and exercise my right to bare arms, but you are right, there is a anti-hunting component and I'm trying to act as a buffer to apease both sides before this gets blown out of proportion and we lose everything. I want to keep hunting alive and well in American Canyon, but some times I feel like an American indian telling the new settlers, "but, this is our hunting grounds", we all know what happend then.
outdoorsman, thank you for your wise words, if everyone hunted with your courtesy I'm sure we would not have a problem. But last year there seemed to be a new contingent of hunters that pushed the 150 yd boundry, shot easterly often, and used the banks of the 'back-up withholding pond' as a blind. It seems hunters have to police hunters.
richards, calmdown, your among friends.

Thanks
A. Lauser "