'Is my life in danger': Ada residents raise safety alarms next to KCCL shooting ranges

Tim Nolan has lived in his Ada Township home since 2014. His property borders the Kent County Conservation League shooting ranges. He says he no longer feels safe in his own backyard.

"Every time I walk back there now, I have to stop and think, 'Are they shooting there? Is it a good idea to be in my own woods?'" Nolan said, according to a report from FOX 17.

Nolan is not alone. Several Ada Township residents have raised concerns that bullets from the conservation league's ranges are drifting into neighboring properties.

Two incidents described by a resident

Nolan described two separate events that left him worried about his family's safety.

• In 2016, Nolan was walking through woods on his property with his wife and daughter. His wife, an experienced hunter, said a round went over their heads.
• This spring, Nolan was cutting firewood when he heard a shot from the range followed by a whirring sound. He said something struck a tree with a loud knock that sounded "almost like a golf ball hitting a fence."

Nolan contacted Ada Township and the Kent County Sheriff's Office after the spring incident.

Township officials wait for inspection report

An Ada Township planning report noted that an inspector with the NRA conducted an inspection of the Kent County Conservation League's facility in May. Township meeting minutes from May 26 stated there was "no confirmed evidence that a bullet left the range."

Ada Township Manager Julius Suchy said by email that officials are waiting for the full inspection report before commenting. He said the report will be made public once it is received, according to FOX 17.

A representative of the Kent County Conservation League declined to comment when a reporter approached them in person after emailing the manager.

'This is not an anti-gun thing'

Nolan and his neighbors are gun owners themselves. They say their concern is about safety, not about opposing firearms.

"We want our kids and neighbors to be safe in their own homes, in their backyards," Nolan said. "This is not an anti-gun thing. This is a, 'We want you to be safe' thing."

The Kent County Conservation League operates skeet, trap, 5-stand, sporting clays, rifle and pistol ranges at its facility on Conservation Road NE in Ada. The organization was established in 1929 and focuses on wildlife conservation and responsible hunting education, according to its website.

The inspection results from the NRA visit could determine whether changes are made to the range's operations or barriers.

Sources:

- Cassandra Alonso, "Ada neighbors fear being in their own backyards amid gun range concerns," FOX 17, 2026

- Ada Township meeting minutes, May 26, 2026

- Kent County Conservation League website (kccl.org)