CPW Awards Grant for Bent County Trap Club

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:

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.”