From: Single Source Procurement - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation ...
(DEC Website)
NY DEC Contract # C007823 Contract Award Date: 05/07/2012
Awarded to: Cornell Cooperative Extension of Saratoga County
Purpose: "Develop, implement , and administer programs (Shooting Range Grants Program and NASP-NY) to enhance
hunter safety, education, and satisfaction."
Description: "As the sole provider of the New York State 4-H Shooting Sports Program, CCE-SC is uniquely qualified to work with the Department to implement these important programs. Through the Shooting Sports Program, CCE-SC promotes the safe and responsible use of firearms and archery equipment in order to provide participants with 'valuable vocational and life-long recreational education.' CCE-SC has a network of shooting specialists state-wide that makes CCE-SC uniquely positioned to implement the Shooting Range Grants Program and NASP-NY [archery in schools program]."
From: Open Book New York - Office of the State Comptroller
(State Comptroller Website)
Transaction Type: Original Contract
Transaction Amount: $749,557.00
Contract Start Date: 10/1/2011
Contract End Date: 9/30/2016
Description: Shooting Range Grants Program Administration
Transaction Approved/Filed Date: 5/7/2012
If you can get a straight answer from DEC or OSC as to why the contract award/approved date is seven months after the start of the contract period, in different fiscal year (FY runs Apr.1-Mar.31), let us know. So far that info has not been forthcoming in inquiries about it.
DEC Division of Fish, Wildlife & Marine Resources (FWMR) runs this program/contract. FWMR Director Patricia Riexinger says that they are just now getting things ready to announce a request for proposals (i.e., requests for shooting range development project funding) in January 2013.
This state program essentially redistributes federal funds obtained under the federal Pittman-Robertson Act (Wildlife Restoration Act). P-R funds are used for many wildlife projects, and shooting range development, improvement, cleanup, etc. are permissible projects for P-R funding. The feds reimburse 75% of a project's cost. The remaining 25% can be funded by the state or private sources. For example, the NRA has a shooting range funding program that sometimes covers part or all of the 25%.
A key provision is that the range operator given funds must offer public access hours free or at minimal cost. The idea is to encourage shooting practice and spending. The P-R funds come from a federal 11% tax on guns, ammo, archery equipment, etc. Federal and other research show very clearly that the firearms industry has benefited massively (to the tune
of 1000% improvement in profit) from the P-R law. So it makes everybody happy. Wildlife, shooters, vendors. Ask the NSSF.
Many states (26 checked so far) have had this kind of program in effect long before NY.
The funds can be used by any non-profit shooting range owner (club, etc.) or government agency (DEC, city, county, etc.). In some states, they use P-R funds to build/improve state-owned ranges on state land ... some of them big projects in the millions, some small ones scattered around the state. In other states, instead of state-owned facilities, they distribute the funds to private not-for-profit range operators (e.g.: clubs) who agree to provide public access hours meeting state rules. VT and MA are examples of this.
Every state bordering on NY has these state range development grant programs, and 21 other states that I checked. It appears safe to say that MOST states have it. NY is late to the table. Not that we have not received or used the P-R funds. There is no requirement they be used for ranges. They can be used for a variety of wildlife restoration projects and programs.
Watch for an announcement from DEC in January that they are looking for range operators (private or publicly owned) to ask them for money!
You can bet your bippy (this is speculation, but well-informed) that the DEC will NOT use these funds to clean up the shooting dumps scattered around on state lands. Those (imho) will continue, and get worse. With this move to fund public access at ranges, eventually only those who will not tolerate range safety rules and want "reactive targets" (like tv's) will use the unmanaged shooting ranges on state land. Others will use the free or low-cost ranges "subsidized" by the state, where the facilities are better (like toilets ... yes, the P-R funds can be used for that kind of range improvement), and things are usually safer. But this will be a very long-term evolution.
Personally, I would like to see them build state-owned and maintained ranges (whether staffed or not), and then outlaw all target practice on state land except at the formal ranges, because of the abuses at unmanaged ranges. This could be done one county at a time. When public ranges have been established in a county, then that county becomes no-shooting on state land. Funds would not provide for it to be implemented statewide all at once. But they could do a handful of counties per year.
DEC says they expect to award grants in Spring 2013 for projects to break ground in the summer. The funds have to be used within the same fiscal year, so it's a scramble. A senator from Colorado is pushing a change to the federal law to increase the fed share from 75 to 90% and to allow multi-year project funding.
I'd cite all the sources of my info, but it's really tedious, so for now this is a summary of research ... aside from the bippy-worth's speculation about how the DEC will NOT use these funds to clean up their own act when it comes to public shooting development and maintenance ... which they definitely can do with these fed P-R funds, AND with help from NRA and other private sources. Yes, NRA definitely awards shooting range development grants to government. They are proud of this work, helping to make up the 25%. Some projects involve not just money but services and materials in-kind donated by local
people helping to make these projects happen. Facts, folks. I did the homework.
So ... some questions for discussion:
1. Have you heard of this before? Know of anyone acting on it / waiting for the DEC to open the program to grant requests? Are you one of them?
2. Your preference? Choose between funding private clubs' range development/improvement projects in exchange for their granting public access hours (which can be rather limited, like one day per week and weekends), or DEC providing state-owned and state/volunteer-maintained ranges. Which do you like, and why? It does not have to be either-or. It can be both. But there are only so many dollars to go around. (In states that build public ranges with P-R funds, sometimes they are staffed, sometimes only supervised by ranger patrols, sometimes have volunteer range safety officers, sometimes no staffing or regular patrols, but there are rules posted and presumably enforced, and in many instances they have operating hours, whether staffed or not, and are closed one day a week or other periods for maintenance, cleanup, etc., which may be
done by volunteers or state staff ... in other words, the options are wide open. The feds do not make many rules about what kind of range you can have or how you operate it. Most of that is regulated by the state.)
3. Do you think DEC should use these federal funds to clean up and manage the existing trashy ranges on state land? For example, after cleanup of an existing range, build shooting benches, proper target backstop berms, post hours, patrol for compliance by forest rangers, arrange for periodic cleanups (ideally by volunteers, to stretch the dollars for more ranges) ... these are all examples of things they do in other states.
THIS CAN BE SUPPLEMENTED BY PRIVATE FUNDS FROM NRA AND ANYBODY ELSE WHO IS INTERESTED ... clubs, vendors, etc. In a case in W.VA. somebody contributed road-building supplies and equipment to a state-run range project on public land. With some creative cooperation, the possibilities are almost unlimited.
Love to hear your thoughts on this, other info about it, etc.
(DEC Website)
NY DEC Contract # C007823 Contract Award Date: 05/07/2012
Awarded to: Cornell Cooperative Extension of Saratoga County
Purpose: "Develop, implement , and administer programs (Shooting Range Grants Program and NASP-NY) to enhance
hunter safety, education, and satisfaction."
Description: "As the sole provider of the New York State 4-H Shooting Sports Program, CCE-SC is uniquely qualified to work with the Department to implement these important programs. Through the Shooting Sports Program, CCE-SC promotes the safe and responsible use of firearms and archery equipment in order to provide participants with 'valuable vocational and life-long recreational education.' CCE-SC has a network of shooting specialists state-wide that makes CCE-SC uniquely positioned to implement the Shooting Range Grants Program and NASP-NY [archery in schools program]."
From: Open Book New York - Office of the State Comptroller
(State Comptroller Website)
Transaction Type: Original Contract
Transaction Amount: $749,557.00
Contract Start Date: 10/1/2011
Contract End Date: 9/30/2016
Description: Shooting Range Grants Program Administration
Transaction Approved/Filed Date: 5/7/2012
If you can get a straight answer from DEC or OSC as to why the contract award/approved date is seven months after the start of the contract period, in different fiscal year (FY runs Apr.1-Mar.31), let us know. So far that info has not been forthcoming in inquiries about it.
DEC Division of Fish, Wildlife & Marine Resources (FWMR) runs this program/contract. FWMR Director Patricia Riexinger says that they are just now getting things ready to announce a request for proposals (i.e., requests for shooting range development project funding) in January 2013.
This state program essentially redistributes federal funds obtained under the federal Pittman-Robertson Act (Wildlife Restoration Act). P-R funds are used for many wildlife projects, and shooting range development, improvement, cleanup, etc. are permissible projects for P-R funding. The feds reimburse 75% of a project's cost. The remaining 25% can be funded by the state or private sources. For example, the NRA has a shooting range funding program that sometimes covers part or all of the 25%.
A key provision is that the range operator given funds must offer public access hours free or at minimal cost. The idea is to encourage shooting practice and spending. The P-R funds come from a federal 11% tax on guns, ammo, archery equipment, etc. Federal and other research show very clearly that the firearms industry has benefited massively (to the tune
of 1000% improvement in profit) from the P-R law. So it makes everybody happy. Wildlife, shooters, vendors. Ask the NSSF.
Many states (26 checked so far) have had this kind of program in effect long before NY.
The funds can be used by any non-profit shooting range owner (club, etc.) or government agency (DEC, city, county, etc.). In some states, they use P-R funds to build/improve state-owned ranges on state land ... some of them big projects in the millions, some small ones scattered around the state. In other states, instead of state-owned facilities, they distribute the funds to private not-for-profit range operators (e.g.: clubs) who agree to provide public access hours meeting state rules. VT and MA are examples of this.
Every state bordering on NY has these state range development grant programs, and 21 other states that I checked. It appears safe to say that MOST states have it. NY is late to the table. Not that we have not received or used the P-R funds. There is no requirement they be used for ranges. They can be used for a variety of wildlife restoration projects and programs.
Watch for an announcement from DEC in January that they are looking for range operators (private or publicly owned) to ask them for money!
You can bet your bippy (this is speculation, but well-informed) that the DEC will NOT use these funds to clean up the shooting dumps scattered around on state lands. Those (imho) will continue, and get worse. With this move to fund public access at ranges, eventually only those who will not tolerate range safety rules and want "reactive targets" (like tv's) will use the unmanaged shooting ranges on state land. Others will use the free or low-cost ranges "subsidized" by the state, where the facilities are better (like toilets ... yes, the P-R funds can be used for that kind of range improvement), and things are usually safer. But this will be a very long-term evolution.
Personally, I would like to see them build state-owned and maintained ranges (whether staffed or not), and then outlaw all target practice on state land except at the formal ranges, because of the abuses at unmanaged ranges. This could be done one county at a time. When public ranges have been established in a county, then that county becomes no-shooting on state land. Funds would not provide for it to be implemented statewide all at once. But they could do a handful of counties per year.
DEC says they expect to award grants in Spring 2013 for projects to break ground in the summer. The funds have to be used within the same fiscal year, so it's a scramble. A senator from Colorado is pushing a change to the federal law to increase the fed share from 75 to 90% and to allow multi-year project funding.
I'd cite all the sources of my info, but it's really tedious, so for now this is a summary of research ... aside from the bippy-worth's speculation about how the DEC will NOT use these funds to clean up their own act when it comes to public shooting development and maintenance ... which they definitely can do with these fed P-R funds, AND with help from NRA and other private sources. Yes, NRA definitely awards shooting range development grants to government. They are proud of this work, helping to make up the 25%. Some projects involve not just money but services and materials in-kind donated by local
people helping to make these projects happen. Facts, folks. I did the homework.
So ... some questions for discussion:
1. Have you heard of this before? Know of anyone acting on it / waiting for the DEC to open the program to grant requests? Are you one of them?
2. Your preference? Choose between funding private clubs' range development/improvement projects in exchange for their granting public access hours (which can be rather limited, like one day per week and weekends), or DEC providing state-owned and state/volunteer-maintained ranges. Which do you like, and why? It does not have to be either-or. It can be both. But there are only so many dollars to go around. (In states that build public ranges with P-R funds, sometimes they are staffed, sometimes only supervised by ranger patrols, sometimes have volunteer range safety officers, sometimes no staffing or regular patrols, but there are rules posted and presumably enforced, and in many instances they have operating hours, whether staffed or not, and are closed one day a week or other periods for maintenance, cleanup, etc., which may be
done by volunteers or state staff ... in other words, the options are wide open. The feds do not make many rules about what kind of range you can have or how you operate it. Most of that is regulated by the state.)
3. Do you think DEC should use these federal funds to clean up and manage the existing trashy ranges on state land? For example, after cleanup of an existing range, build shooting benches, proper target backstop berms, post hours, patrol for compliance by forest rangers, arrange for periodic cleanups (ideally by volunteers, to stretch the dollars for more ranges) ... these are all examples of things they do in other states.
THIS CAN BE SUPPLEMENTED BY PRIVATE FUNDS FROM NRA AND ANYBODY ELSE WHO IS INTERESTED ... clubs, vendors, etc. In a case in W.VA. somebody contributed road-building supplies and equipment to a state-run range project on public land. With some creative cooperation, the possibilities are almost unlimited.
Love to hear your thoughts on this, other info about it, etc.