Columnist Barb Henderson: Shooting park planned for Clark County

Barb Henderson

Friday, Dec. 20, 2002 | 10:02 a.m.

Barb Henderson is an outdoors enthusiast, freelance writer and producer/host of outdoors radio television programming. Her column appears Friday in the Sun.

If you're among the many sportsmen/women who enjoy shooting sports such as trap, skeet and sporting clays, archery, cowboy action shooting, and rifles and pistols, it should make you happy to know that legislation has transferred 2,800 acres of federal land to the county for a public shooting range.

The planned Clark County Public Shooting Range hopes to become the largest world-class shooting park in the nation.

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., Congressman Jim Gibbons, Congresswoman Shelly Berkley, Clark County Commissioners Mary Kincaid-Chauncey and Chip Maxfield and Assemblyman John Lee and others made the site announcement during a local news conference Monday.

Joining politicians were law enforcement representatives and shooting sport enthusiasts who gathered within view of the site in the far northwest Las Vegas Valley on vacant land north of Moccasin Road and west of Decatur Boulevard.

Sen. Reid, who played a key role in the land transfer, is pleased that every member of the Nevada delegation co-sponsored this bipartisan bill. Congress passed the bill earlier this month.

Reid said the bill will improve the quality of life and recreational opportunities for Southern Nevadans and ensure that sportsmen/women and recreational shooters will have a world-class public shooting facility here.

Clark County will implement the master plan for the Sport Shooting Park after the park's 31-member citizens' advisory committee submits its recommendations. The panel will provide input from user groups on the design and phasing of the various elements of the park. The cost for this project could reach $20 million, to be funded through a public-private partnership.

Future plans for the shooting park include a location for education, competitive events (including facilities for Olympic style shooting), local law enforcement firearm training, hunter and gun safety courses and a range for sportsmen/women to enjoy shooting sports.

Briefs

Until next week, enjoy the great outdoors.11The planned Clark County Public Shooting Range hopes to become the largest world-class shooting park in the nation.