Four our Neighbors

ISA will be closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

For the first time, Interlake Sporting Association will be closed on Thursday, November 26 (Thanksgiving), Thursday, December 24 (Christmas Eve) and Friday, December 25 (Christmas Day). No shooting will take place at the range on these days. We wish you and your family a peaceful holiday season.

Our commitment: a plan for sound mitigation

We are committed to working with our neighbouring community. ISA has proposed conceptual mitigation plans to the City of Redmond, but an agreement has not yet been reached. You can read the details for yourself:

• Sound Mitigation Plan (February 2026): the measures we are developing to reduce sound reaching nearby homes.
• Sound Study Results (October 2025): our recent measurements of sound levels around the range.

Please ask the City to support our sound mitigation efforts

Together we can get this done. Tell the Mayor and City Council, in your own words, that you are a neighbour and support ISA's sound mitigation proposal and a cooperative solution with the City.

Email: MayorCouncil@redmond.gov
Phone: 425-556-2900
Mail: City of Redmond, PO Box 97010, Redmond, WA 98073-9710

We want to hear from you

Questions, concerns or ideas about the range? Our door is open. Email us any time at interlakesecretary@gmail.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is a shooting range so close to homes?

The range was here first. Interlake Sporting Association was founded in 1947 and has operated at this location for more than 75 years, long before the surrounding neighbourhoods were built.

When the City of Redmond reviewed the homes now around us, we took part in the public process. We provided comments on the Willows Crest development in the early 1990s and on the Rose Hill subdivision in 2016, so that the City, developers and future buyers would know a shooting range was next door.

In approving Rose Hill, the City's Hearing Examiner agreed that our comments mattered to future residents:

"However, the ISA comments are well-taken, and present a real-life consideration that future residents may want to factor into their decision to live in the proposed subdivision. It is a classic case of 'buyer beware'. All neighborhoods have their unique issues, for instance, some have traffic problems, others might be prone to bad smells from a nearby farm or business operation, others have bad soils or rocks that are hard to build on or around, and others have ugly, rundown structures on surrounding sites. In this instance, the Examiner observed clear signage on the ISA property, noting the presence of shooting activities that could cause noise, or similar disturbances. Future homeowners and residents would be well-served if they do their research and become familiar with the area, and their existing neighbors."
City of Redmond Hearing Examiner, Rose Hill Preliminary Subdivision decision, November 2, 2016, page 13 (read the full decision)

Being here first doesn't mean we stop listening. We want to be good neighbours, which is why we limit our hours, are closing on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day this year, and are developing a sound mitigation plan. If you have questions or concerns, please email us at interlakesecretary@gmail.com.

Who are our members?

Our members are your neighbours. Interlake Sporting Association has been part of this community since 1947, and our membership has stayed about the same size since the early 1990s.

• About half of our roughly 500 members live in Redmond.
• Many others live nearby in Kirkland and Woodinville, and own businesses or work in Redmond.
• Our members include doctors, lawyers, law enforcement officers, active military, bankers, engineers, software developers, scientists, business leaders and skilled tradespeople.
• Membership is open to everyone, regardless of race, creed, colour, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability or sexual orientation.

Every member is vetted and trained

We are a private, members-only club. Every member goes through a rigorous application process, including a criminal background check, training and an in-person safety exam.

Interested in joining, or have questions? Email us at interlakesecretary@gmail.com.

Have you added new ranges?

No. Every range at ISA has existed, in some form, for decades. Over the years we have redesigned existing ranges to make them safer, for example by adding containment structures that stop ricochets.

All of our current ranges are documented in our site plan and operating procedures, and were included in the operating licence the City of Redmond approved in 2020.

These improvements have been funded by our members and, in the mid-1990s, by a $60,000 Washington State grant. They are part of our ongoing commitment to running a safe, responsible and well-managed facility.

Has activity at the range increased?

No. Activity has gone down.

• Fewer shooting sessions: individual shooting sessions have dropped by about one-third over the past four years.
• Stable membership: our membership has stayed between 450 and 500 members.
• Members and invited guests only: we no longer allow law enforcement or other outside agencies to use the facility.
• Fewer training classes: we have cut training classes from monthly to just two to four times a year.

Has the range become louder?

No. What we shoot has become quieter.

• Mostly quieter firearms: about 80% of use is now pistols and small-calibre sporting rifles.
• Little large-calibre shooting: larger hunting rifles account for only about 5% of use.
• Rules that limit sound: we restrict some ranges to pistol calibres or suppressed firearms, based on sound testing and on neighbours' feedback.

What has changed is the land around us. New housing has removed trees and vegetation that used to absorb sound. A sound engineer we consulted found this has changed how sound travels from the range, letting it reflect upward and outward. You can read the findings in our October 2025 sound study.

We can't replace those trees, but we can do our part. That's why we're developing a sound mitigation plan with the City.

Is the range safe?

Yes. Safety is the foundation of everything we do. Our procedures make sure every person on our range is qualified, informed and accountable. Our ranges are overseen by a Chief Safety Officer certified as an NRA Chief Range Safety Officer, the NRA's highest range safety qualification.

How we keep the range safe

• Sponsorship: every new member must be personally sponsored by an existing member in good standing.
• Background checks: every applicant undergoes a criminal background check. We do not admit anyone with a disqualifying criminal history.
• Safety testing: every applicant must pass an online safety exam and an in-person safety evaluation led by a certified Range Officer.
• Supervised guests: guests complete a safety orientation before using any range and are directly supervised by their host member.
• Accountability: members are personally responsible for their guests. Breaking our rules leads to suspension or expulsion, and repeat offences mean expulsion.
• Range design: every shot must land in an approved earthen berm, and our steel target range has a full containment structure to stop ricochets.

Safety isn't just a policy at ISA. It's our culture, and every member shares responsibility for upholding it.

"Interlake Sporting Association" is a 501(c)7 non-profit organization located in Redmond, Washington.

How do you make sure members follow the safety rules?

Our range operations and safety procedures are overseen by ISA's Safety Officer, who is an NRA Instructor, NRA Training Counselor and NRA Chief Range Safety Officer. Every procedure must also be approved by our Board of Directors, which includes former police and U.S. Army officers and members with a range of shooting sports certifications.

Becoming a member

1. Sponsorship and a supervised visit. Every applicant must be sponsored by an existing member, who walks them through our safety procedures during a supervised visit.
2. Online training. Applicants complete a comprehensive online course and watch our detailed safety training video.
3. Written exam and Safe Handling Exam. Applicants pass a written exam, then an in-person Safe Handling Exam with an NRA-certified instructor. They must show they can handle a firearm safely and proficiently, stay aware of the people around them, and follow our range rules.
4. National criminal background check. We deny membership to anyone with an unacceptable criminal background. Out of an abundance of caution, we also deny applicants whose records show poor judgement or repeated failure to follow the law.

Staying a member

• Annual retraining: every member must rewatch our training video, complete the online course and pass an exam every year to keep their membership.
• Safety alerts at every visit: members and guests sign in on our computers before using the ranges. The sign-in system shows the latest safety notices, which must be acknowledged before shooting, so rule changes reach everyone immediately.
• Monthly reminders: our monthly newsletter includes safety reminders.

Guests

• Training every visit: every time they visit, guests must

Meeting community needs and new state training requirements

Few facilities in our region offer the kinds of safety programs and training we provide, including hunter safety and Stop the Bleed courses.

Under Washington's new permit-to-purchase law (HB 1163), anyone buying a firearm in Washington will need to complete a state-certified safety course that includes live-fire training, starting in 2027. As that requirement takes effect, local access to safe, well-supervised training will matter more than ever. We are committed to helping our community meet it, as part of our long-standing commitment to public safety and responsible firearm ownership.