Video: Lines of Communication In State Agencies, Departments

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COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)– Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks is considering building a 243-acre shooting range in Layfayette County. The problem? Two locally owned gun ranges already exist there. In Columbus, the Mississippi Development Authority is also working on a gun range for Columbus Air Force Base.

“Really these are two different issues. MDA is wanting to do one here for Columbus Air Force Base. Their shooting range has been antiquated so the city, county and CAFB are going together to do this one. Wildlife, fisheries and parks doing the one in Lafayette County, part of Wildlife and fisheries and parks is recreation and shooting sports is a very viable sport,” said State Representative Gary Chism.

While these projects are being done by separate agencies for separate reasons, many question how often agencies actually correspond with one another. And does this lack of communication cost taxpayers in the long run?

” Whether it be the state legislature versus the executive branch or whether it be the board of aldermen and mayor and the commissioners or supervisors. You’re going to always have that somewhat difficult situation. It’s mainly because there’s so much overlapping. And it’s very difficult to get everybody on the same page when you have people going in 2 or 3 different directions, striving to get to the same place,” said State Representative Tyrone Ellis.

State Representatives say the best solution is better communication.

” If the state agencies were to have a clearing house of sorts. A communications clearing house when something is going on and it comes across that clearing house desk, then they can flag it and say wait a minute, we have MDA working on this and we need to get MDA and wildlife together or other agencies together to prevent this overlapping or duplication if you will,” said Rep. Tyrone Ellis.

WCBI reached out to Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks for a comment but we have not gotten a response. We also reached out to the gun store owners as well but have not heard back.