The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is seeking applications for its Shooting Range Grant Program.
Donor Name: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
State: Wisconsin
City: Selected Cities
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 07/15/2023
Size of the Grant: $800,000
Details:
Promoting hunting, shooting sports and hunter safety is a long-standing objective of the DNR. To meet this objective the DNR has developed the Shooting Range Grant Program to assist with the development of new ranges and improvements to existing ranges who make their facilities available to the public. The DNR’s vision for shooting ranges in Wisconsin is: “In order to maintain and expand recreational shooting opportunities and Wisconsin’s hunting heritage and the economic impact those activities have; they will increase opportunities for shooting in a safe environment within a reasonable travel distance for participants, in a location intended for recreational shooting.”
The number one goal for the DNR to achieve this vision is to improve and increase public access to high quality, safe shooting opportunities at well-designed ranges. The Shooting Range Grant Program is one tool to help reach this goal.
The grant program provides financial assistance for creating safe and accessible firearm and archery shooting opportunities for the public. Managers of public or private shooting ranges or members of the public interested in building a new range are encouraged to apply, especially if located near highly populated areas where similar services are not currently available. Ranges operating as a business-for-profit are not eligible for funding.
Grant Priorities
The following range attributes or range projects are grant program priorities:
- Range development at a range open to the public greater than 300 days per year.
- Projects at an existing range with the primary purpose of improving safety at the range
- Ranges within 20 miles of one of these major cities: La Crosse, Eau Claire, Milwaukee, Kenosha, Waukesha, Madison, Janesville, Appleton, Racine, Oshkosh, West Allis, or Green Bay.
- Ranges are more than 20 miles from another range that has similar amenities.
- Projects at ranges that host hunter education, school shooting teams or clubs, Learn to Hunt events, 4H shooting sports events/volunteer training, or other recruitment and retention programs.
- Range development at a range that has not received a Shooting Range grant in the last 10 years.
- Range development at a range that has conducted lead reclamation activities within the last 10 years.
- Ranges replacing existing surveillance equipment that is now prohibited by 2 CFR 200.216.
Funding Information
The grant program will have $800,000 available for range improvement projects.
Eligible Items
- Outdoor range construction, including backstops and berms, target holders, shooting benches, baffles, protective fencing, signs, trenches, gun racks, platforms, restrooms and other items considered essential for the project by the department.
- Indoor ranges, when it is determined by the department they are needed, including classroom, storage and restroom facilities.
Eligibility Criteria
Increasing public access to high quality, safe recreational shooting opportunities is a primary goal of this program. Ranges owned and operated by the following entities are eligible for shooting range grants, provided that they provide adequate opportunities for public access:
- Wisconsin tribes
- Wisconsin school districts
- Wisconsin counties, towns, villages, and cities
- Other Wisconsin governmental units, as defined in s. 66.299, Wis. Stats.
- Rod and gun clubs
- Businesses or corporations
- Wisconsin universities, colleges, and technical schools
- Conservation organizations or associations.
For more information, visit WDNR.
