Public Comment Period on Intent to Make a Determination
Upgrade Salisbury Small Arms Range

February 5, 2026 — The Department of National Defence must decide whether the proposed project is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.

To help inform this decision, the Department of National Defence is inviting comments from the public on the project and its potential effects on the environment. All comments received will be considered public. For more information, individuals should consult the Privacy Notice on the Registry website.

Written comments must be submitted by February 24, 2026 to:
James Stewart, Deputy Range and Training Area Engineer
Real Property Operations Detachment (Gagetown)
Mailing Address:  PO Box 17000 Stn Forces
Oromocto, NB, Canada, E2V 4J5
E-mail: James.Stewart3@forces.gc.ca

The Proposed Project

The Department of National Defence (DND) has proposed a project. The project includes the removal of trees and shrubs from the stop-butt, the additional of soil to the stop-butt to return it to its proper shape, the replacement of bullet catches and lane markers, the demolition of the cold-storage building SRR-2, the reshaping of the mantlet to allow it to act as a new stop-butt for targets closer than 100m, the grading of the existing ground forward of the 100m firing line to create the proper geometry to allow the use of the mantlet as a stop-butt, the creation of a new target line with a mini-mantlet in front of the existing mantlet, the elimination of the 100-yard firing mound, the construction of a new 100m firing mound, and the installation of a concrete pad and protective bund for a sea container. The project will not change the overall footprint of the range. The removal of trees and shrubbery from the stop-butt will be done via mechanical mulching. There is no intent to stump and grub. The stop-butt will be reshaped by adding new soil to increase the top elevation by 1.2m and the front slope to 38 degrees. There will be no soil removed from the stop-butt. The existing wooden target numbers and bullet catch frames will be removed and disposed of as construction waste. New target numbers and bullet catches will then be installed. Building SRR-2 will be demolished and replaced with another structure in another location. Records indicate that SRR-2 contains asbestos. A complete HAZMAT survey of the building will be conducted, and a disposal plan will be developed. Worse-case scenario would be that approximately 25.6m³ of material that would need to be disposed of at a licensed facility. SRR-2 is of slab-on-grade construction and therefore there should be no excavation of in-situ soil. Reshaping of the mantlet will involve the addition of 1m of soil to the face of the mantlet and an increase in the elevation of the mantlet by approximately 90mm. The additional soil will result in the front of the mantlet having a front slope of 38 degrees. New bullet catches will be installed on the face of the mantlet to act as a stop-but for the short-range targets. The area in front of the existing mantlet will be modified to allow the installation of target holders that are protected by a mini-mantlet. The area between the existing 100-yard mound and the new small target line will be graded from its current elevation at the 100-yard firing line to the new elevation of 23.9m at the new target line. This could involve the excavation of up to 3000m³ of the in-situ soil. This soil has been tested and is suitable for re-use on site and will be used in the reshaping of the mantlet and the stop-butt and will be used for the construction of the new protective bund around the new concrete pad. Any excess material will be stockpiled on site. The existing 100-yard firing mound will be removed. The soil of the mound has been tested and is able to be reused on-site. This material, plus new soil, will be used to construct a new firing mound at the 100m distance. A new concrete pad with dimensions of approximately 15m x 4m will be constructed 50m SOUTH of the existing SRR-2. See Figure 3. This is to allow the placement of a 40-foot ISO container on the pad to replace the functionality of SRR-2. The ISO will be protected with an earthen bund. The bund will be formed using material removed from forward of the 100m firing mound and additional imported soil as required.