Cooperative Shooting Range Grant

Grants ranging from $1,000 to $20,000 to Ohio nonprofit organizations and government agencies to improve shooting ranges for public use. Primary emphasis is placed on equipment acquisitions, updating existing range facilities and structures, and archery ranges. This program is not intended to support the construction of new ranges.

The Ohio Division of Wildlife’s Shooting Range Grant Program provides matching grants to towns, counties, sportsmen and outdoor recreation organizations, shooting clubs, economic development agencies and others for projects to improve or expand shooting ranges and shooting areas, including archery, across the state.

The grant program supports the improvement of Ohio’s public shooting ranges to provide Ohio residents with safe shooting areas, promote Ohio’s hunter education program, safe hunting and shooting practices, and encourage hunters to become more proficient with firearms and archery equipment.

Funding for the Division of Wildlife Shooting Range Grant program comes from the Federal Aid to Wildlife Restoration Program which is commonly called the Pittman Robertson (P-R) Program, and from a federal excise tax on rifles, shotguns, handguns, and ammunition and archery equipment. Funds are apportioned to state fish and wildlife agencies based on the number of hunting license holders and each state's size in relation to the other states. Because of the need for local shooting opportunities in Ohio, the Division of Wildlife has made some of these funds available to local units of government and not-for-profit corporations for shooting range development.

Granting or denying funds are at the discretion of the Division of Wildlife. All grants are scored on a competitive basis. All partnerships, leases and cooperative agreements entered into are granted according to law and to the rules and regulations of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife. Once accepted, all projects will have to meet the compliance requirements of the USFWS.

Shooting Range Grant Program Goals:

The Ohio Division of Wildlife seeks proposals from qualified organizations (see eligible applicant section) to provide, as an independent contractor, support services such as:
-Places for hunters, shooters, and archers to practice and improve their skills that are open to the public
-Safe and environmentally sound target and shooting ranges
-Facilities for public hunter education courses and firearms instruction
-Public facilities to introduce shooting and hunting to first time users, encourage active shooters and re-activate lapsed shooters
-Consideration for possibilities of installation of features providing access and services that enable individuals with physical disabilities to enjoy a variety of shooting activities
-Grants are for shooting ranges providing public access to recreational shooting. To satisfy the public access requirement for the range grant, the range must submit to the Division of Wildlife the days and times the facility is open to the public so that it can be posted to the Division of wildlife website.
-Applicants must be in compliance with rules and regulations from any prior grants.
-Applicants must have liability insurance unless not required by the law.
-The range property and any impacted lands must be owned by the applicant or be in a long term lease of 25 years or more with the option to renew.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA):
It should be noted that all projects must be designed and constructed so as to be accessible to people with disabilities and should meet current A.D.A. requirements where practical and economically feasible.

Public Access:

Grant recipients are required to provide public access during agreed upon times. The standard for “public access” to ranges is regularly scheduled, continuing shooting hours for simple recreational shooting or target practice available to the general public. Public access does not have to be free, it does not require that an entire facility be available to the public and during those hours, and it does not need to be restricted or limited to the portion of the facility benefited by the work enabled under the grant.

A member of the public should not have to be enrolled in a class, purchase a membership to a club, be a guest of a club member, participate in an organized competitive event or pay more than a modest fee to access the range facility. If a fee is charged, the fee must be modest, may not be punitive towards public users and may be used only to offset or defray documented operating, maintenance and management costs of the facility.

For successful applicants, the availability of public access days and times of shooting opportunities, along with the facility location and contact information will be posted on the Ohio Division of Wildlife website to ensure the public is aware of the additional opportunities created by the grant funds. Public access will weigh heavily on your grant application score.

Eligible Projects:

Projects should be designed according to current guidelines contained in the National Rifle Association’s Range Source Book, Guide to Planning and Construction, The Archery Trade Associations Archery Park Guide, or other nationally recognized shooting range design reference guide. All designs require pre-approval before funds are dispersed.

Eligible Projects include (but are not limited to):
-Archery range construction
-Improvements and additions to firearm and archery ranges
-Earthwork, berms and backstop enhancement and improvements
-Concrete replacement for shooting fields
-Permanent archery target holders
-Archery target frames and target butts
-Automated gates to improve access
-Firing line enclosure
-Shooting benches
-Coverings for firing points
-Shade canopies or shelters
-Classroom improvements
-Parking lot improvements
-Road improvements or trail improvements
-Electrical and lighting replacement
-Signage
-Archery towers or platforms
-Sound abatement
-Access improvements
-Trap machines
-Gun racks
-Bow racks
-Bullet containment systems
-Movable storage facilities