The DNR Wildlife Division has applied to the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund for monies to build a proposed public shooting range in the Barry State Game Area.

At the last Committee of the Whole meeting, Barry County Commission vice-chair Vivian Conner said that historically there were three sites in the Game Area that were used for target shooting.  Two of those sites were closed by a director’s order due to stray bullets hitting neighboring housing. The third site has had a multitude of issues, due to development of subdivisions nearby, overcrowding at times, shooting in unsafe directions, and shooting of unlawful materials such as tannerite.

The proposed project would be the first ‘official’ public shooting range for the Barry State Game Area and would be built along M-179 in an area with no nearby houses. It would be surrounded by berms, unmanned, gated, open limited hours, with no memberships, fees or permits required to use it.

A resolution expressing support for the proposed range was approved by the Committee of the Whole and will be sent to the Natural Resources Trust Fund Board after the next regular Commissioners meeting.