Virginia: Loudoun County Board Dismiss Overly-Restrictive Discharge Ordinance

Yesterday, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors held their regular Board Business Meeting where they were scheduled to consider a Board Member Initiative to increase the minimum distance that an individual must be from an occupied structure when discharging a firearm.  During that meeting, the Board of Supervisors decided to back away from the extreme ordinance. 

The proposed change sought to prohibit the discharge of a firearm within 800 yards of an occupied structure without prior approval from the landowner.  This could have resulted in a de facto ban on hunting and target shooting in Loudoun County.  While the NRA condemns negligent discharge of a firearm, the proposed change would have only negatively impacted law-abiding hunters and gun owners in the area.  These distances are too long and could rule out hunting or target shooting in many areas where occupied structures exist within 800 yards of each other, including on an individual’s own private land.  Further, because consent from owners of occupied structures is required, it would have allowed a neighbor to prevent hunting or target shooting within a half mile, regardless of land ownership.

Thank you to those NRA Members and Second Amendment supporters who attended and contacted the Board of Supervisors in opposition to this ordinance.  Stay-tuned to NRA-ILA alerts for more information and updates.