By Rupert Howell
The Allen family who live next to the Charles Ray Nix Wildlife Management Area near Sardis expressed serious reservations about proposed shooting ranges being  put on adjacent property and asked Panola supervisors to rescind their letter of endorsement to Mississippi Department of Wildlife Fisheries and Parks during Monday’s meeting in Sardis.
Linda Allen Young spoke for the group, three of four siblings, who were accompanied by their father, Mr. Bob Allen. The elder Allen is a retired cattle farmer who lives nearest the proposed ranges and currently rents his pasture.
Young said none of the family nor neighbors were notified of the proposed ranges until told a story was in the local newspaper Young explained stating, “They emphasize being neighbor friendly. . . It’s not like there hasn’t been any communication,” she said stating her father’s house is only a few hundred yards away and he regularly talks to officers there.
She presented drawings of the area noting close proximity to the property line and later noted the area contains 4,000 acres.
“ . . . And yet they want to build it (ranges taking up 300 acres) right up against our property.”
Young noted that as an heir, she and other siblings not currently living on the family’s property, may later build a home or weekend cabin near the site.
“Our road and way of life will be affected,” she stated.
Young noted the narrow road leading to the proposed site stating WMA property could be accessed by two State-Aid roads, Ballentine and Highway 315, with many connecting roads throughout the property.
The Allen family, also accompanied by neighbor George Land, presented petitions with approximately 100 signatures from nearby residents and members of four churches within the area.
Scottie Jones is shooting range coordinator with MDWFP and responded to Young’s comments stating, “We look into all aspects. . . There are only five families (living) within a mile.  . . I understand their concerns.”
He agreed there would be increased traffic, but noted it would be thousands of people coming to Panola County spending money and stated, “This is going to be a top notch facility.”
The MDWFP official stated the purpose of the proposed ranges and others like it in the state is to recruit youth into hunting sports and noted a decline in number of young shooting sports enthusiasts.
The proposed range would consist of a 15 station sporting clay range, two skeet trap ranges, five-stand sporting clay range, two rifle ranges, a pistol range and three dimensional archery range.
Jones had said in a May 2 meeting that ground should be broken in August, “. . .  if all goes as planned.”