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 – 5

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. Fiscal Note (Available upon request)


Commission Agenda Item No. 6
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.

Number of Students: 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  

Add 5 bonus points for classroom facilities at range

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

Commission Agenda Item No. 5
Exhibit B

Grand Prairie Sportsman's Development Corporation

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.


Commission Agenda Item No. 5
Exhibit C

Harris County

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.


Commission Agenda Item No. 5
Exhibit D

Tac Pro Shooting Center

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.


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