NUCLA, Colo.–The tiny Colorado town of Nucla has passed an ordinance making gun ownership mandatory.

The Nucla Town Board last week voted to require that residents own firearms, but it has exceptions for heads of households who don’t want to participate or who cannot legally possess a gun.

According to the Montrose Daily Press (http://tinyurl.com/alwg3a3), Nucla’s ordinance passed by a 5-1 vote. It was inspired by the Family Protection Ordinance passed by the town of Nelson, Ga.

The Colorado town of less than 1,000 people becomes the latest of a handful of communities nationwide to pass such a rule. The measures are widely considered unenforceable.

“The main reason is to protect Second Amendment rights, especially with the government talking about abolishing them,” said Nucla Town Board member Joshua Newingham. “Out here, we hunt, we do sports shooting. It’s a way of life.”

Nucla’s ordinance states that, in order to provide for the emergency management of the town and for the general public welfare, “every head of household residing in the town limits is required to maintain a firearm, together with ammunition therefor.”

The ordinance does not specify a type of firearm.

The only vote against the measure came from a Town Board member who called the measure “wasteful” because it’s unenforceable and meant only to send a message.

“I am the lone gunman–actually, the lone non-gunman, I suppose,” Bill Long told the paper.

“Ideologically, it’s no different than saying ‘You can’t own guns.’ If you want less government in our lives, this isn’t that. It’s a symbolic gesture.”

The newspaper reports that the Moffat County town of Craig is considering a similar gun ordinance, proposed by a citizen.

“We have not done anything with that yet,” Craig City Manager Jim Ferree told the Daily Press.

Montrose County commissioners in February pledged their support for the Second Amendment by passing a resolution.

Since then, Colorado passed sweeping gun-control laws, including expanded background checks and a limit on magazine capacity, taking effect July 1.

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Information from: The Montrose Daily Press, http://www.montrosepress.com