LEWIS, N.Y. — The peaceful wilderness of New York’s Adirondack Mountains, known for echoing loon calls and quiet lakeside camping, could soon echo with the thunder of military artillery if a controversial testing proposal moves forward.
A military contractor’s plan to conduct howitzer testing in this rural Adirondack Park community has sparked fierce opposition from local residents and environmental advocates, prompting park officials to schedule a rare public hearing on the matter.
Critics worry that artillery blasts on private property would destroy the area’s peaceful atmosphere and frighten away wildlife including moose, deer, bears and various bird species. Environmental groups express additional concern since the proposed testing site sits close to state-owned forest land within the 6-million-acre park’s mix of public and private property.
“I hunt. I shoot. I reload. I know guns,” local resident Dan Canavan explained from his home located roughly one mile from the proposed testing facility in Lewis. “You can’t equate a 155 millimeter howitzer with a hunting rifle, but that’s how he’s been selling it.”
Military contractor Michael Hopmeier argues his howitzer barrel testing would serve national security interests and maintains that noise levels reaching the closest neighbors through the forest wouldn’t exceed typical rural sounds like chainsaws or hunting firearms.
Hopmeier plans to create a testing facility along a country road approximately 10 miles west of Lake Champlain.
The proposal calls for firing steel projectiles from barrels measuring up to 155 millimeters (roughly 6 inches) across a distance equivalent to two football fields, occurring 30 times annually. Testing would happen during midday hours on weekdays, limited to twice daily. A metal shipping container packed with sand and gravel would capture the projectiles, which would contain no explosive warheads.
“We are not investigating explosive shells. We are not blowing things up,” Hopmeier explained during a recent presentation to neighboring town officials.
His company aims to evaluate factors like barrel deterioration and recoil for military applications. Adirondack Park Agency regulators have repeatedly requested additional details since receiving the initial application in 2021.
Hopmeier’s business, Unconventional Concepts, Inc., stated in their application that testing would support research at the U.S. Army laboratory at Watervliet Arsenal, located about two hours south. While no current contract exists, Hopmeier indicated via email that his company could pursue government contracts once testing authorization is secured.
The Army’s DEVCOM Armaments Center confirmed via email that it currently has no plans for howitzer testing at the Adirondack location, “but may consider future artillery experimentation based on Army priorities.”
The proposed testing range would sit near a Cold War-era nuclear missile silo that Hopmeier’s company purchased in 2015 — one of twelve that previously surrounded the now-closed Plattsburgh Air Force Base. The former silo site currently serves research purposes.
Artillery testing would occur on property adjacent to this site. Despite the remote location, 44 residences fall within a 2-mile radius of the proposed testing area.
Howitzer blasts generate extremely intense sound — approximately 180 decibels at the source, exceeding most fireworks and reaching levels that can cause hearing damage and physical harm.
Although testing would occur away from well-known Adirondack destinations like Lake Placid and Lake George, Hopmeier’s proposal has generated significant public attention. State regulators received more than 1,400 public comments, with only 19 expressing approval.
Town council member Lanita Canavan fears losing the tranquil character of their remote community of roughly 1,300 residents and worries about birds abandoning her feeders. Resident April Guilder questions potential impacts on local water sources.
“Who’s sticking up for us? That’s my question,” Guilder asked during a recent informational session at the town fire station. “I don’t feel like there’s anybody that’s doing that, and that’s kind of frustrating.”
Some residents remain upset about Hopmeier’s “Jaded Thunder” military exercises from last September, which involved his property and helicopters from Fort Drum. Multiple complaints emerged about low-altitude helicopter flights and gunfire. One local resident compared the experience to the film “Apocalypse Now.”
While the howitzer proposal stands separately, some residents view it as another disruption connected to Hopmeier’s activities.
However, Jim Pulsifer, who owns the proposed testing property, stated he wouldn’t participate if he believed noise levels would be excessive. Citing the work’s national importance and potential local employment benefits, he offered his land without charge.
“I know there’s a lot of people that moved into the Adirondacks for their little peace and quiet,” said Pulsifer, who lives near the proposed test site. “Well, people have to live in the Adirondacks, too — and make a living.”
Following multiple postponements, a public hearing is scheduled for April 22. An administrative law judge will spend months examining whether howitzer testing aligns with park regulations and character.
Hopmeier has questioned the park agency’s authority to block his testing plans, though he acknowledged that regulatory approval “makes things cleaner.” He has also filed litigation seeking to invalidate the board’s hearing decision, claiming one member with previous environmental group connections should have recused themselves.
“Allowing them to treat me unfairly and disregard basic rights is a disservice to my community and country,” Hopmeier wrote, “so I fight on.”
