South dakota GFP created the shooting range development grant program in 1971 to encourage the new developmentand improvement of shooting ranges

The Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service awarded $213,334.00 to the State of South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks Wildlife Division under the Wildlife Restoration and Basic Hunter Education and Safety program (CFDA 15.611) for the period July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. This formula grant funds the operation and maintenance of nineteen shooting range facilities established through South Dakota's Shooting Range Development Grant Program, which was created in 1971 to encourage the development and improvement of public shooting ranges.

The primary deliverable is the provision of safe, well-maintained shooting range facilities that support hunter education and enable the general public to develop and practice shooting skills. By maintaining these nineteen facilities across South Dakota, the grant enables the Wildlife Division to fulfill its critical conservation mission while supporting the state's outdoor recreation economy. The Wildlife Restoration and Basic Hunter Education and Safety program, authorized under the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937, supports state wildlife agencies in delivering a range of wildlife conservation and hunter safety initiatives, of which shooting range operations represent a key component.

The objective of this grant is to operate and maintain nineteen shootingrange facilities. The expected results and benefits are to provide a safe place for hunter education and thepublic to develop and practice shooting skills.