PRESENTER: Steve Hall
COMMISSION
AGENDA ITEM NO. 6
BRIEFING
TARGET RANGE PROGRAM
AUGUST 2001
I. DISCUSSION: The National Hunter Education and Target Range Programs were established in 1970 and 1972 respectively as a part of the Pittman-Robertson (P-R) Wildlife Restoration Act. This act provides for these programs, and the Department has historically set aside $100,000 for the target range program. The participants provide twenty-five percent (25%) of the total cost of the project with the grant funds providing the balance or seventy-five percent (75%). The funds are available to qualifying applicants from both private and governmental sectors who provide public use of their facilities.
The criteria for funding grant requests is the "Target Range Plan" which was approved by the Commission in March 1991 and is based on (1) population of county, (2) number o f hunter education students certified in the county in the previous calendar year, (3) number of existing shooting facilities in the county, and (4) hunter days data in the county (Exhibit A).
II. RECOMMENDATION: The staff recommends the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission adopt the following motion:
"The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission authorizes the Executive Director to execute contracts funding the projects at Exhibit B and C pending availability of federal funds."
Attachments - 4
1. Exhibit
A - Target Range Plan
2. Exhibit
B – Grand Prairie Sportsman’s Development Corporation
3. Exhibit
C – Harris County
4. Exhibit
D – Tac Pro Shooting Center
5. Exhibit
E – Fiscal Note (Available upon request)
EXHIBIT A
Target Range Plan
Criteria and Rating Factors
I. The extent to
which the project will provide safe shooting
facilities to the
project area's population. (Current
population estimate)
| Population of County: |
Point
Range
|
|
| over 1,000,000 |
40-50
|
|
| 500,000 - 1,000,000 |
30-40
|
|
| 250,000 - 499,999 |
20-30
|
|
| 50,000 - 249,999 |
10-20
|
|
| 1,000 - 49,999 |
1-10
|
II. The extent to which the project will provide educational facilities for the mandatory hunter education program.
Number of students certified in the county in the previous calendar year.
|
Point
Range
|
||
| over 1,000 |
20-25
|
|
| 501 - 1,000 |
15-19
|
|
| 101 - 500 |
10-14
|
|
| 51-100 |
5-9
|
|
| 0-50 |
0-4
|
|
|
|
0
or 5
|
|
III. The extent to which the project will improve the geographic distribution of shooting facilities in the service area or sponsor's jurisdiction.
|
Point
Range
|
||
| Project provides first shooting facility in county. |
25
|
|
| Project provides new and different shooting opportunities |
10-20
|
|
| Other safe shooting facilities are available in area. |
0-9
|
IV. The extent to which the project will provide a safe shooting facility for hunters coming into the project's service area for hunting.
(Based on hunter
days data from Texas Parks and
Wildlife
Department Fisheries and Wildlife Division)
|
Point
Range
|
||
| Upper 20%. |
25
|
|
| 2nd 20% |
20
|
|
| 3rd 20% |
15
|
|
| 4th 20% |
10
|
|
| Lower 20% |
5
|
EXHIBIT B
PROJECT SPONSOR: Grand Prairie Sportsman’s Development Corporation
PROJECT: Finish out of new Hunter Education Building
LOCATION: Grand Prairie, Dallas County
TYPE: Improvement of facilities
DISCUSSION: The Grand Prairie Sportsman’s Development Corporation requests support in finishing out the new hunter education building they have constructed, at their own expense, on the Grand Prairie Gun Club Range. This is Phase 5 of the development of this site, starting with an abandoned sewage treatment plant in 1990, into one of the premier shooting facilities in the state. The club has twenty- five certified hunter education instructors who actively teach at this location. Local match will consist of a combination of private donations of labor, equipment, materials and club assets valued at $23,328.
RECOMMENDATION: Approve Department finding of $69,984 in FFY 2002 for project.
EXHIBIT C
PROJECT SPONSOR: Harris County, Precinct 3
PROJECT: Improvement of George Bush Park shooting facility
LOCATION: George Bush Park, Harris County, 16500 Westheimer Parkway, Houston, TX
TYPE: Improvement of the range as a teaching facility
DISCUSSION: Harris County Precinct 3 requests assistance in expanding the public shooting facility to include a special purpose small bore rifle range to be used for hunter education. This range will be built near the existing classroom and will greatly improve the facility for educational purposes. The local match will consist of labor and materials valued at $14, 880.
RECOMMENDATION: Approve Department funding of $15,000 in FY 2002 for project.
EXHIBIT D
PROJECT SPONSOR: Tac Pro Shooting Center – William Davison, Owner
PROJECT: Improvement of the Tac Pro Shooting Center range
LOCATION: 35100 North State Highway 108, Mingus, Erath County, TX 76463-6405
TYPE: Road, parking and drainage improvements to classroom and ranges.
DISCUSSION: The Tac Pro Shooting Center request support in providing better access to their facilities by improving the roads and parking areas and drainage systems on the ranges. They have developed eight different ranges and a classroom on the 545 acre facility providing 25 yard to 1000 yard shooting opportunities for the public. They are active supporters and hosts to the 4-H Shooting Sports Program for youth and offer both standard and home study TPW Hunter Education certification classes. The in-kind match will consist of existing range assets valued at $21,665.
RECOMMENDATION: Approve Department funding of $65,000 for project.