Colorado Shooting Range Development Grants fund six shooting ranges
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Travis Duncan
Statewide Public Information Officer
720-595-8294 / travis.duncan@state.co.us
Colorado Shooting Range Development Grants fund six shooting ranges
DENVER – Colorado Parks and Wildlife has awarded $1,538,733 to six shooting ranges across Colorado through the agency’s Shooting Range Development Grant Program (SRDG). The funds will go toward developing new shooting ranges and to upgrade existing ranges.
SRDG supports the establishment, improvement and expansion of safe shooting facilities in Colorado and is one of the largest shooting range programs in the nation. Since 2010, SRDG has awarded more than $6.3 million in funding toward 75 shooting and archery projects across Colorado.
The program's funds come from federal excise taxes generated by the sale of hunting and shooting equipment, in addition to funds generated through donations made through specialty hunting and fishing license plates. Local partners in the projects also commit at least 25 percent in matching funds for project work.
Each year, SRDG maximizes its impact by providing matching grants to towns, counties, outdoor recreation organizations, shooting clubs, parks and recreation departments and others. These projects establish, improve or expand shooting ranges and shooting areas - including archery ranges - throughout the state. The six projects approved for funding this year include more than $750,000 in local matching funds.
CPW’s SRDG coordinator Jim Guthrie said, “We’re investing sportsperson dollars into shooting range facilities, plus really leveraging those dollars. And with Colorado’s growing population, the need for safe, accessible ranges continues to rise. The SRDG program is a critical program to help meet that demand.”
Guthrie said there are some particularly noteworthy projects funded this year, including construction of a new public range adjacent to the Boulder Rifle Club and a new range just west of Idaho Springs. “Finding sites for shooting ranges is always a challenge. Both ranges are remarkable opportunities for recreational shooters in the Denver metro area.”
Boulder Rifle Club
CPW Area Wildlife Manager Jason Duetsch said the Boulder Rifle Club grant “will fund the initial construction of a new range to build out and provide more public opportunity in the future. It’s the Boulder Rifle Club and Colorado Parks and Wildlife working together with Boulder County to provide more opportunities for Front Range shooters to go practice with their firearms in a safe, organized setting. And it will be a major facility to alleviate some of the impact of shooting currently occurring on heavily used U.S. Forest Service property in the area.”
Clear Creek County Shooting Range
CPW Area Wildlife Manager Mark Lamb said Clear Creek County will develop an existing shooting range next to the county fairgrounds. “The range will include 100-yard, 50-yard and 25-yard ranges, providing opportunities for a variety of shooters, including hunters keeping their accuracy and skills good for the fall,” he said. Gilpin County is also a major partner in the project.
Shooting sports make an economic impact.
In the United States, the economic impact of the sporting arms and ammunition industry totals more than $42 billion and creates more than 263,000 jobs. The Pittman-Robertson excise tax manufacturers pay on the products they sell is a major source of wildlife conservation funding in Colorado and nationwide. Colorado Parks and Wildlife directs a portion of its Pittman-Robertson funding to the shooting range program. Additional funding is provided through annual voluntary registration fees on specialty “hunting and fishing” license plates.
Shooting Range Development Grants awarded in 2021 include:
Southeast Region
Pikes Peak Gun Club, Colorado Springs
Bunker trap machines, sporting clays electronic controller, shelters, access road improvements
$144,700
Gold Camp Shooting Sports Center, Teller County
Berm improvements on 25-yard range, road and fire mitigation work
$59,062
Northeast Region
Logan County Shooting Range, Sterling
Shade shelters and firing lines on 300-yard range
$70,500
Boulder Rifle Club
Construction of new 25, 50 and 100-yard ranges
$375,000
Clear Creek County Range, Idaho Springs
Development of a new public range, including 45 shooting lanes, berm safety improvements and erosion control and a range building.
$860,000
Southwest Region
Delta Trap Club
Electrical upgrades
$29,471
CPW is an enterprise agency, relying primarily on license sales, state parks fees and registration fees to support its operations, including: 42 state parks and more than 350 wildlife areas covering approximately 900,000 acres, management of fishing and hunting, wildlife watching, camping, motorized and non-motorized trails, boating and outdoor education. CPW's work contributes approximately $6 billion in total economic impact annually throughout Colorado.
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