A new round of grant funding to develop and improve shooting ranges throughout the state is available for 2017, the Department of Natural Resources said in a news release.
There is $1.2 million in grant funds available, with grants requiring a match from the applicant organization. The application deadline is Sept. 1.
In 2015, the Minnesota Legislature authorized $2 million for matching grants to recreational shooting clubs to either develop or improve trap shooting sports facilities for public use, with an emphasis on enhancing youth participation opportunities. In 2016, the DNR provided grants totaling $675,000 to 20 organizations.
"We are combining trap grant opportunities along with skeet, rifle, pistol, and five stand projects," said Chuck Niska, DNR shooting range program coordinator. "We will also be able to gauge the interest in firearms range improvements and development, picking up where (we) left off in 2016. In the past, we had a separate grant program for trap ranges, and all other types of shooting sports."
Since 2014, the DNR provided over 120 firearms range matching grants to over 100 shooting sports organizations, the release said.
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There are two levels of grant funding available: those at or below $25,000, and those above $25,000. Each has a separate request for proposal form, which can be found on the DNR website.
