A lease to develop a 3-square-mile state-owned tract in the Absaroka Range foothills has been finalized without any mandatory measures to mitigate impacts on mule deer, which use “crucial” habitat that overlaps the site throughout the year.
The incursion into deer range and other designated wildlife habitat comes from the Wyoming State Shooting Complex, a subsidized public-private venture set in motion by successful 2023 legislation. Before a 12-member legislative task force voted in July 2024 to locate an event center, long-range targets and other infrastructure on the 1,956-acre property in Park County, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department issued a memo that effectively recommended the complex go elsewhere because of wildlife conflicts.
State wildlife officials, however, called the review “internal department correspondence” and not an “official project letter,” even though it was printed and signed on Game and Fish letterhead and addressed to an outside legislative task force.
Fifteen months later, the 75-year lease for the Wyoming State Shooting Complex was finalized by the State Board of Land Commissioners, which met last week in Cheyenne. In the intervening months, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department was never asked to complete a formal review of the project’s wildlife impacts, and so that assessment does not exist.
“We do rely on the permitting agency to request a formal environmental review,” Game and Fish Director Angi Bruce told WyoFile.
Alternatively, developers will often seek an environmental review, Bruce said. In the case of the Wyoming State Shooting Complex, the request came from neither party. In the Game and Fish director’s view, it’s not the state agency’s role to step in and formally vet a project’s wildlife impacts without a review being requested.
“We have not done that before,” Bruce said. “At the end of the day, this is a legislative action that passed and is now in state law. We’re going to respect that.”
The permitting agency for the Wyoming State Shooting Complex is the Wyoming Office of State Lands and Investments.
State land leases for extractive activities, like oil and gas drilling, typically trigger project reviews and standard wildlife-friendly stipulations, according to Cody Booth, the office’s lands management program supervisor.
On state lands administered by his office, there is a standard oil and gas stipulation for crucial big game winter range — like the Wyoming State Shooting Complex site, where it’s designated for mule deer. The stipulation states that developers “shall” avoid human activity in crucial range for big game species from Nov. 15 to April 30. Variances require the director’s approval, consultation with Game and Fish and plans that “provide similar resource protection and mitigation.”
But surface-disturbing activities on state lands permitted via a “special-use lease” are regulated more loosely, Booth said. That’s due to the wide variety of projects that require a special-use lease, which is a “catch-all bucket” for permanent changes to the land ranging from a commercial shooting complex to a trail network, he said.
“We have to take these [leases] on a case-by-case scenario, and we’re not able to develop those same standard stipulations,” Booth said. “There’s not stipulations in the same sense as an oil and gas lease, but there could be comments or recommendations from Game and Fish.”
Because the Office of State Lands and Investments didn’t ask for a project review from its sister agency, Game and Fish’s formal recommendations don’t exist in writing.
But Booth said the State Shooting Complex’s developers have been in talks with wildlife managers.
“It’s our understanding that the lessee is working diligently with the Game and Fish,” he said, “and on a variety of wildlife matters.”
Additionally, he pointed out that there’s a provision in the State Shooting Complex lease that requires developers “to observe state and federal laws and regulations for the protection of fish and wildlife.”
The specific concessions being made to minimize harm to crucial mule deer range and core sage grouse habitat in the southern third of the site were not available before this story was published.
Glenn Ross, who chairs the Wyoming State Shooting Complex Joint Powers Board, could not be reached for an interview Thursday. But previously, he told WyoFile that Game and Fish’s wildlife impact concerns were considered from the get-go and an earlier Park County site north of Cody was abandoned because it overlapped an elk calving area.
“Our planning with our site has been making every attempt to be wildlife friendly,” Ross told WyoFile last summer.
There was no discussion about impacts to wildlife habitat when the State Board of Land Commissioners — comprised of Wyoming’s top five elected officials — met last week to finalize the complex’s lease. The 75-year lease went through without any major controversy, though Secretary of State Chuck Gray did oppose an amendment that closed the entire 1,956-acre state land site to the general public.
“This is just a little too heavy handed for me, all 2,000 acres,” Gray said. “I think there is a path, maybe, to get a little more of a balance there.”
The site design for the Wyoming State Shooting Complex is nearing completion, according to the Powell Tribune. Its joint powers board met Thursday morning to potentially approve the design, the newspaper reported, and a public meeting to show off the new design has been scheduled for 5:30-7:30 p.m. Oct. 15 at the Park County Courthouse.
Another boondoggle paid with our tax dollars. It’s not even going to be open to most of the taxpayers that are “funding” it. This project should have been funded privately. So much for being fiscally conservative. Vote in the mid terms next year.
I would like to know a few things that I didn’t see in the article unless I missed them somehow.
1. Who is backing this with private funds at what amount, and how much of the cost will be born by taxpayers? What will be the split on revenue generated if it even covers operational costs?
2. Once operational, how much revenue is expected? I can’t see this being a major travel attraction destination for anyone including us Wyomingites.
3. Why is this being subsidized? If there is enough traffic to support it, it should be funded by private money only. If not, then from the limited info that I’ve read, this project shouldn’t go forward.
4. It appears the wildlife considerations have been perfunctory at best.
What am I missing?
I believe……
Most wildlife will mitigate their needs. It will avoid people while still accomplishing it’s survival needs.
And, chances are that the shooting range will still see wildlife. With all the concerns of “scaring off wildlife” I have seen much wildlife coexist with humans.
Most people using this facility will be “responsible hunters” who understand wildlife regulation.
It should not when be a concern that the wildlife impact analysis foregone.
Everything we do requires impact statements except tourist traps. We have thousands of acres of reclaimed coal leases where this would have made much more sense and far less impact. I guess those areas are not as attractive to out of state deep pockets. I am not sure what is worse, tourists or wind farms.
What a sh*t show. There was no public input whatsoever into this project from the beginning. When Park County residents were polled, their number one desire for the future of the County was to maintain open spaces for wildlife and agriculture, and small town ambience. We are already in the midst of a land use plan revision on account of how fast those wide open spaces are being subdivided. The concept of a Sate Shooting Complex was out there, and the public was informed that Park County was vying for it, but the location was never disclosed, and there were no public meetings. Then come to find out it’s a done deal, smack dab in the middle of gorgeous wild land, critical mule deer and sage grouse habitat. So now we will soon have a satellite city to the south, more roads, more subdivisions, more light pollution, less peace and quiet, less wildlife, less public access. At public expense. This will be way bigger than the already existing shooting complex to the north of town, another formerly public landscape taken over by the same special interest group, where you can barely hear yourself think while hiking in the surrounding drop-dead gorgeous landscape for the constant explosions from the gun ranges. And that’s not even counting all the informal target shooting areas on BLM near town, where if you don’t know to avoid them, you or your dog or your horse risk getting shot. Locals who cannot afford membership in the clubs will continue creating a hazard for other recreationists on public land. They will be priced out of the shooting complex. The non-shooting public, like the deer, will loose access to the State land, and soon enough to the land surrounding it. Seems to me the State has been getting pretty greedy and heavy handed of late, with its disregard for public input and for wildlife while pursuing the almighty dollar. This expensive project, like some other recent examples, serves very few while harming the public interest.
Elitist boondoggle.
The Cody Shooting complex on the north side of town is a great place to shoot no matter the weapon.
This is a waste of money, the “environmental” impact is a dog whistle sure flier way to get non shooters all worked up about something they are clueless about.
All of the negative impacts to wildlife and its habitat aside, what is the need for a shooting complex? It makes as much sense as a gold-plated ball room in the white house.
Wildlife should come first, but unfortunately they can’t speak up for themselves.
Wyoming : still policymaking from the barrel of a gun . Since 1868.
Okay this made me chuckle.
Oh, the insecure popgunners must be beside themselves with glee. Whadda total waste of money. There’s more to life than making noise with firearms no matter how “manly” it makes a pathetic group of losers feel…
Your comment is a beautiful example of why politics are in the state they’re in. Many people, women, children enjoy shooting sports, be it firearm or archery. Does cycling make someone a pathetic looser just because I don’t care for it? Not so much. But you’re comment speaks volumes about you.
This is how the destruction of wildlife habitat takes place- a slow chipping away at the land, increasing atv use, etc., etc.
It is so odd that a state where wildlife managers and hunters promote the killing of natural predators such as cougars, wolves, and bears to “protect” the ungulate species that humans want and feel like they should be the only ones to hunt, bury their heads when it comes to protecting habitat (thus the animal) for those same species when the promise of dollars and even more guns are involved.
So much for making our wildlife a priority.
The impact of the project will be felt on the wild life. The big hammer however will be ATV rental which will impact all the public lands wild life, and cultural resource sites in the adjacent area. Off road travel will be a bigger concern for BLM management and wildlife. This venture will impact more than the footprint site on state lands.
Will the State Shooting Complex (SSC) be self-sufficient? This is the question to be asked? The financial needs of this project have hovered 50 to 100% above the initial cost projections. Remember folks, the $30,000,000 – $50,000,000 that it’s going to take to make the SSC a reality comes out of your pocket. Then, who pays the annual costs/payroll? On top of that, the SSC will essentially be an invitation-only/semi-private shooting club that the majority of you are not welcome to access. But rest assured that the local task force and legislators, state officials, VIPs and select other “special” people will be freely invited to participate in an exclusive country club. On your dime. Then, to top it all off with a cherry, the creators of the SSC will not take into account the intrusion of critical mule deer and sage grouse habitat. To hell with our States greatest resource, the wildlife but at least a select few will have their lil’ exclusive clubhouse bankrolled by the rest of us. This proposed SSC reeks of good ole’ boys ole’ fashioned boondoggle and very well could be a disaster, financially and ecologically
You are totally right Mr. Martin. They do not and did not take migration routes and sage grouse leks into account. They will never build it for $20 million and it will be a flop. there are plenty of nice shooting complexes else where. This place is much too hard to get too. Cody can’t handle what they have now. They need nothing else. I don’t want one dime of my tax money going towards it. The county should not be spending $750,000 to put the road in. That money should have been used on much need weed control or other services that are lacking. Just another good ‘ol boy project that is going to fail.
Totally sensible statement.
Why do out tax dollars get spent on an “invite only” facility?
This is absurd!
(Not that I’d drive across the state to use it but, locals in the area should have access to it!)
I completely agree
Adam I completely agree with your comment about SSC and the wildlife, habitat, financial burden for taxpayers, state/federal take over of that historic beautiful landscape no good reason. I say “rally the nay sayers and go to that meeting on Oct 15 to speak up against the design plan being proposed!” Do it early in the process and don’t give up. Grassroots organizations work better at the local level.
This Shooting Complex is turning into an economic disaster. The brain trust local committee that lately has been suffering some infighting is full of past poor Cody Wyoming leadership. For the rest of the state, research Forward Cody if you want to see where millions of your taxpayer dollars have went for huge, expensive and EMPTY buildings with very few jobs created. The committee is having a hard time coming up with funding via donations as most in the know are very reluctant to underwrite the questionable leadership and hey, these guys cant even come up with a plan for this project, yet want us all to blindly just give them money. The finance whizzes aka the Park County Commissioners have already blown 3/4 of a Million dollars building a road to the Complex site. A road that may very well end up to a nowhere dead end. It should come to no surprise that the wildlife, especially the threatened Sage grouse and the Mule deer population that has taken a scary hit, doesn’t seem to concern both the local Committee nor the State of Wyoming legislature. The cost of this Complex was initially slated at 10 million, then 20 million and now reportedly on the street in Cody, the local committee is crying for 50 million. Scott Webber of Gunrunner Gun auctions, a committee member is very concerned that the Complex, once in operation wouldn’t turn a profit unless it can do enough business to fund an estimated annual payroll of $500,000 for employees. The Wyoming State Shooting Complex – a bad idea that is turning into a nightmare for both the taxpayer and the wildlife