Sept. 3, 2001

Target Ranges Receive Funding for Improvements

AUSTIN, Texas -- The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission approved three Target Range Program grants totaling $150,000 during its Aug. 30 meeting.

TPW staff recommended that the commission authorize $69,900 to the Grand Prairie Sportsman's Development Center, $65,000 to the Tac Pro Shooting Center near Stephenville and $15,000 to the George Bush Shooting Facility in Houston.

The Grand Prairie Sportsman's Development Center requested support in finishing the new hunter education building they have constructed at their own expense on the Grand Prairie Gun Club Range. The Tac Pro Shooting Center requested support in improving the roads, parking areas and drainage systems on the range to provide better access for the public. Harris County Precinct 3 requested assistance in expanding the George Bush Shooting Facility to include a special small bore rifle range to be used for hunter education.

The National Hunter Education and Target Range Programs were established in 1970 and 1972 respectively as part of the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act. This act provides for these programs and TPW has historically set aside $100,000 for the Target Range Program.

The participants provide 25 percent of the project cost with the balance covered by grants. Grants are available to qualifying applicants from both private and government sectors who provide public use of their facilities.

The criteria for funding grant requests is the Target Range Plan, which is based upon the population of county, the number of hunter education students certified in the county the previous calendar year, the number of existing shooting facilities in the county and hunter days data in the county.