OQUOSSOC — Thanks to a $75,505 federal grant, The Rangeley Region Guides’ and Sportsmen’s Association and the Rangeley Skeet and Trap Association can renovate their shooting and archery ranges.

In a Saturday news release, Sheri Oldham said the Guides’ and Sportsmen’s Association was notified by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife that their requests for federal grant funding from the 2013 Maine Range Access Improvement Grant Program were approved.

A total of twelve projects were approved in the statewide competition, she said.

These federal grants from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are funded by a federal excise tax on sporting goods sales as a result of the Pittman-Robertson Act.

The Guides’ and Sportsmen’s Association project will improve and renovate the existing rifle/pistol range on the Morton Cut-off Road and the archery range adjacent to the RRG&SA clubhouse, Oldham said.

The rifle/pistol range improvements will include construction of a new, higher and longer earthen safety berm between the two ranges, construction of new target bases for lead containment, construction of expanded, handicap-accessible shooting stations with new canopy, a handicap-accessible toilet and parking area, and construction of a new gun rack.

The archery range improvements include grading and providing a packed handicap-accessible access to the 10-, 20- and 30-yard targets, purchasing and installing bog-bridging material on the 3-D archery course, replacing 11 3-D targets, and purchasing additional bows and arm guards for archery classes.

The Rangeley Skeet and Trap project will also involve extensive renovations and enhancements of the current facility. A handicap-accessible combination trap and skeet field will be built. This will bring skeet shooting back to the range, Oldham said.

New skeet houses will be constructed. The trap house will be renovated. New skeet and trap throwers will be purchased. Sporting clay shooting stations will be repaired or replaced. 

These grants will allow both organizations to better align their ranges with best-management practices for range design and operation, she said.

After project completion, there will be increased and enhanced sport shooting opportunities for club members, the general public, and for individuals with physical disabilities.

Work on both projects will start this fall and will be completed by the end of 2015.

Oldham said the estimated cost of both projects is $107,865. The federal grant will cover 70 percent of the actual cost. So, the organizations will need to cover the remaining 30 percent of project costs with volunteer labor, discounts from vendors and contractors, and cash donations.

If anyone would like to donate labor or money to these projects, contact Sheri Oldham at 207-864-4323 for detailed information on how to make a contribution. Additional information on the RRG&SA activities and facilities can be found on its website at www.rangeleyoutdoors.com.

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