News that Park County won a much-coveted $10 million Wyoming shooting complex has some wondering if it makes sense to build it in a more remote area in the northwest corner of Wyoming rather than a more central location.
Backers of the plan remain confident that putting it near Cody will draw plenty of competitive shooters, firearms-related companies and big money to the Cowboy State.
The chosen location is 2,036 acres of Wyoming State Schools Trust land about 7.5 miles south of Cody along Highway 120, also known as the Meeteetse Highway.
The shooting complex will lease the land from the state, but the fee has yet to be determined, James Klessens, the CEO and president of Forward Cody, told Cowboy State Daily on Thursday.
Was Cody The Wrong Choice?
Nine Wyoming communities, including some in central Wyoming, initially entered the running for shooting complex. It was announced in June that Campbell County and Park County were to two finalists.
When news came earlier this week that Park County had been selected, many balked at that choice while others vented their frustrations on social media.
Charles Whitaker reflected some common sentiments in a comment he posted on Cowboy State Daily’s Facebook page.
“This thing should be along I-80 and honestly it should be in SW Wyoming,” he said. “Better weather for a longer part of the year and loads of tourism capabilities. Probably won’t pay for itself in 10 years, but along I-80 it might be able to in 1.”
Mike Schmid of La Barge, who has long been a vocal critic of shooting complex proposal, agreed.
“That’s puts it out of reach for a lot of people,” he told Cowboy State Daily on Thursday.
Money for the shooting complex can’t be touched until the Wyoming Legislature says so. Schmid hopes to add his voice to that discussion.
He’s running as a Republican for the House District 20 seat now held by Speaker of the House Speaker Albert Sommers, R-Pinedale.
The $10 million for the shooting complex includes $5 million from the state’s general fund, $2.5 million from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and $2.5 million from the Wyoming Office of Tourism.
If all goes as planned, the Legislature will release the money and greenlight the project in Park County during its 2025 session.
Park County Will Be A Money Magnet
Those favoring Park County say it will be a hugely successful location.
The recommendation to build there came from the State Shooting Complex Task Force. The group included legislators, tourism and shooting sports representatives.
When the task force met Monday to make its final decision, members favoring the Cody location pointed out that it’s already a huge destination for tourists as a Yellowstone gateway community.
Klessens doubled down on that point when he spoke with Cowboy State Daily on Thursday.
Regarding misgivings about Cody being too isolated, “980,000 people a year don’t see that as a problem,” he said.
Schmid acknowledged that Cody has the existing tourism draw going for it.
The relative nearness of a major airport in Billings, Montana, about 105 miles away might also help, he said.
He and Klessens both noted that the Cody Firearms Museum in the Buffalo Bill Center of the West are also related draws that shooters will be drawn to.
About The Big Events
The push to bring a world-class shooting complex began with a bill before the 2023 Legislature sponsored by Sen. Larry Hicks, R-Baggs, and Rep. Art Washut, R-Casper.
One of their main points was that the shooting complex would succeed or fail based on its ability to attract top-tier competitive shooters from all around the country and world.
Klessens reiterated that point.
“The primary stated purpose of this project is economic development, and economic development is about bringing money in from the outside,” he said.
That money won’t come only from competitive shooters coming to Park County for matches, he said.
Having the complex there will also draw firearms-related companies to set up shop alongside the 16 such companies already in Park County, Klessens said.
Private Sector Involvement
To set things in motion, a joint powers board will be appointed to oversee the shooting complex project and administer the facility once it’s built, Klessens said.
The vision is to attract private investors and sponsors, forging a private-public partnership, he said.
Schmid said he thinks the shooting complex should have been a private venture all along.
“You will be hard pressed to find a stronger supporter of our Second Amendment than me, but this is not the legislatures place to build a facility like this. If this was a good financial investment private industry would have done it by now,” he said.
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
