Brookline adopts townwide ban on target shooting on town-owned land

The Brookline Select Board on June 22 adopted a bylaw prohibiting target shooting on town-owned land, saying the rule will give local police and board designees clearer authority to enforce restrictions that conservation volunteers have maintained informally for years.

The board read a draft that defines "town conservation land" as parcels managed by the Brookline Conservation Commission and makes the discharge of firearms for target shooting, sighting or competitions a violation; exemptions are retained for lawful hunting and justifiable self-defense. Penalties in the draft include court-imposed restitution and fines not to exceed $1,000 per offense.

Board members debated whether to limit the regulation to conservation parcels — effectively codifying a 10-year Conservation Commission rule — or to apply the ban across all town-owned parcels. After discussion about mapping small, non-conservation parcels and police enforcement practicalities, the board adopted the broader townwide version. Select Board member Steve recorded a no vote; the remaining members voted in favor and the chair circulated the bylaw for signatures.

Supporters said the bylaw will give officers "more teeth" than a Conservation Commission rule. Chief Hebert, invited to advise the board, described the local history: land that had been used informally for decades is now town-owned and, in his words, changing the legal status without enforcement authority could invite more use. "You're kinda letting everybody know, hey. Come to Brookline and shoot on our town land," he told the board when explaining why clearer prohibitions matter.

Opponents warned of potential legal challenges. One board member raised a concern citing the state statute referenced in the meeting transcript (recorded as "RSA 1 59 26"), saying a court could strike down a municipal regulation that improperly interferes with state law. The chair said the town's legal counsel advised a municipal police‑power exemption applies to management of town-owned land, and a second legal opinion referenced at the meeting supported that view.

The board explicitly discussed enforcement logistics: officers will rely on property lists and parcel mapping to determine where the bylaw applies, and the police department noted it maintains a list of town parcels not managed by the Conservation Commission. The chair said conservation land managers would be responsible for posting signs on conservation parcels as appropriate.

The bylaw took effect immediately upon adoption, per the language the board read. The board recorded a dissenting reason in the meeting minutes and asked staff to provide clearer parcel maps to aid enforcement and public outreach.

What’s next: the chair circulated the bylaw for signatures at the meeting and staff will follow up with the Conservation Commission and police department about signage and parcel mapping.