Colorado Parks and Wildlife

8/4/2022

Colorado Shooting Range Development Grant Program funds eight shooting range projects

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Joey Livingston
Statewide Public Information Officer
303-345-4658 / joseph.livingston@state.co.us

Colorado Shooting Range Development Grant Program funds eight shooting range projects

DENVER - Colorado Parks and Wildlife has awarded $909,987 to eight shooting range projects across Colorado through the agency’s Shooting Range Development Program (SRDG). The funds will go toward developing new shooting ranges and upgrading 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 $7.2 million in funding toward 83 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 eight projects approved for funding this year include more than $574,542 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.”

Projects highlights include:

Boulder Rifle Club planning - $126,000
Funding will help the club proceed through county permitting and design of a new range that, when completed, will allow closure of dispersed recreational shooting on 82,000 acres of US National Forest lands in Boulder County. Separate funding is also awarded toward construction of Phase 1 of the range, which includes 25, 50 and 100 yard ranges.

Turkey Tracks - $109,987
Douglas County is the project sponsor to purchase metal targets for a new, organized range on the Pike National Forest. Targets will be set on 50 – 500 meter walking and stationary ranges. The overall plan for Turkey Tracks includes 25 meter handgun ranges, 100 – 200 meter rifle ranges and traditional and walking archery ranges.

Bent County Trap Club - $21,000
Funding will support a number of range repairs and upgrades to make the range more functional and secure, such as new skeet equipment, fencing, clubhouse roof and window repairs.

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 sports plays a vital role in funding wildlife conservation here in Colorado through the Pittman-Robertson Act,” said Heather Dugan, Acting Director of Colorado Parks and Wildlife. “The availability of safe shooting range opportunities is important to hunters and recreational shooters and helps make the sport much more accessible to new and returning members of the public who might not otherwise be engaged.”

Shooting Range Development Grants awarded in 2022 include:

Columbine Bowmen
Archery range targets
$15,700

Turkey Tracks in Douglas County
Rifle and handgun range targets
$109,987

Bear Creek Lake
Archery range shelters
$78,300

Summit County SR
Noise abatement
$150,000

Boulder Rifle Club
Range planning
$126,000

Bent Co. Trap Club
Range upgrades
$21,000

Boulder Rifle Club
Range construction
$334,000

Pikes Peak Gun Club
Access road
$75,000

Learn more about Colorado Parks and Wildlife's Shooting Range Development Grant Program

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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.

COLORADO PARKS & WILDLIFE

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Colorado Shooting Range Development Grant Program funds eight shooting range projects