The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW), like most state wildlife agencies, receives the bulk of its funding through user fees (hunting and fishing licenses, big game tags, etc.) and excise taxes on shooting, archery, angling and recreational boating equipment collected by the federal government under the Pittman-Robertson (PR) and Dingell-Johnson (DJ) Acts. In turn, NDOW is seeking to return a portion of those tax revenues to Nevada through shooting range grants to local governments.
PR excise tax revenue is apportioned to the states via the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program (WSFR), with a portion of the funds earmarked specifically for Hunter Education or shooting range development and enhancement. These funds are divided following a formula which takes into account the state’s population, number of licensed hunters and land mass, which in Nevada’s case translates to approximately $100,000 that is available on an annual basis.
Any individual or organization with a shooting range project proposal is encouraged to apply, but the grants come with some basic qualifications and stipulations.
The range must be open to the public for free or a reasonable charge. If fees are charged the proceeds must go to maintaining or improving range facilities.
A local government entity (city, county, township, etc.) must be willing to accept the funds, agree to oversee the project and sign a long-term agreement ensuring facility availability, operations and maintenance.
Twenty-five percent match must be provided. The match can come in many forms including cash, donated goods and/or services and volunteer time.
The application deadline is March 11, 2016
NDOW range grant funds have been used to help support the Clark County Shooting Park, Washoe County Regional Shooting and Archery facilities and shooting ranges in Douglas, Elko, Humboldt counties. These ranges have helped meet the need for local shooting facilities and NDOW is always on the lookout for other such projects.
“NDOW’s number one priority when it comes to shooting ranges is to have an adequate number of facilities that provide safe, convenient, affordable places for the public to shoot,” said Chris Vasey, NDOW outdoor education coordinator. “A lot of traditional shooting areas have been closed due to development, environmental degradation and other safety concerns. As a result, many communities lack the shooting ranges necessary for the general public to practice safe recreational shooting and NDOW wants to support projects that provide places to shoot.”
Anyone looking for more information on shooting range grants or applying should review the program information and grant documents at http://www.ndow.org/Our_Agency/Grants/.
The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) protects, restores and manages fish and wildlife, and promotes fishing, hunting, and boating safety. NDOW’s wildlife and habitat conservation efforts are primarily funded by sportsmen’s license and conservation fees and a federal surcharge on hunting and fishing gear. Support wildlife and habitat conservation in Nevada by purchasing a hunting, fishing, or combination license. Find us on Facebook, Twitter or visit us at www.ndow.org.
