A local group is working on developing an argument as to why a proposed state shooting complex should come to Park County.

State Rep. John Winter (R-Thermopolis), whose district covers southern Park County, spoke to commissioners at their Aug. 15 meeting about the status of the complex plans.

“The governor is really high on the thing,” Winter said. “He thinks this is something that Wyoming could really use. And he's got a lot of effort towards it.”

In the last legislative session, a bill was overwhelmingly passed to fund the first $10 million of what could end up being an over $20 million project to build a state shooting complex. Since then, business and government leaders in different regions of the state have been marshaling together groups to pitch their region as the optimum place for the complex.

Winter was in the midst of making stops in counties around the region to put together support for bringing in the complex. And, he said unlike Rock Springs and especially Casper — two places pushing hard to get the project — the Basin has at least one big advantage long-range shooters are concerned about.

“The Big Horn Basin one of the best areas of the state because of wind,” he said. “Cody has wind, but in lots of places it’s more limited. If we can join forces with the different counties, could probably get this accomplished in this area. Fremont is ready to work with us. Basically five counties, if we all band together we can come up with a good program.”

That would be the counties of the Basin and Fremont, and Winter said the mayor of Shoshoni is already leading an effort to create a pitch down there.

There’s a group forming in Park County too, led by people such as Forward Cody CEO James Klessens and Gunwerks CEO Aaron Davidson.

“Whichever area in the state gets this will really benefit in a lot of ways,” Winter said.

The vision for the complex, he said, is one to rival those in other states and would involve all types of shooting sports, including long range, pistol, action shooting, shotgun, etc. Of course, a 2,000 yard range for long-range competition means a lot of land would be needed. Winter said that could involve the purchase of federal land such as BLM, although commissioners later expressed concern that that effort would delay the process.

Klessens said the bulk of their argument would have less to do with the complex itself and more to do with the infrastructure to support the people who would use it.

“The shooting part of it will probably be designed by a professional organization that knows what they're doing,” he said. “What's more important is to deal with some of those other issues like the number of accommodations, the number of people that can provide food service, the ancillary amenities in the community that you can give to be partners in the process. But maybe the most important is the air service.”

Klessens said the airport being served by one carrier flying in roughly 50 people twice a day wouldn’t work if 400 people were looking to fly in for a competition.

“We have to figure out how we can get second hub service or planes into the market on those particular days,” he said.

The Wyoming Legislature’s State Shooting Complex Oversight Task Force is in the process of creating a request for proposals (RFP) to develop a world-class shooting facility in the state. The public is encouraged to complete a brief survey to help inform the RFP process.

Complete the survey at surveymonkey.com/r/WyomingShootingComplex

Learn more about the project at wyoleg.gov/Legislation/2023/SF0169.