DNR News
** Archived Article - please check for current information. **
May 6, 2011
New rifle range opens at Belfast Wildlife Management Area
The S.C. Department of Natural Resources and the National Rifle Association (NRA) gathered on May 6 to celebrate the new Belfast Wildlife Management Area rife range.
Funding for the new range was provided by a grant from the NRA and through funds from the Wildlife and Sportfish Restoration Program, a program where federal excise taxes are collected at the manufacturer’s level from the purchase of firearms and ammunition by sportsmen and then provided to fish and wildlife agencies for wildlife conservation, hunter education and shooting range programs. These federal funds are managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the authority of an act supported by hunters and initially passed in 1937 called the Pittman Robertson Act. The funds are allocated to the states under a formula based on state size and number of hunting licenses sold.
The new range is located on Highway 560 in Kinards, South Carolina. The range will be open daylight hours Wednesday through Saturday and from 2 p.m. until dark on Sundays. There is no charge for use, but visitors must supply their own targets.
"Urbanization has dramatically impacted the opportunity for many citizens to participate in shooting sports and other outdoor recreation activities," said S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) director John Frampton." Partnering with the NRA and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to provide public shooting ranges is integral to the recruitment and retention of hunters and recreational shooters in South Carolina."
Herb Lanford, a member of the NRA Board of Directors, stated, "Thanks to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, the new public shooting range at Belfast Plantation is a great asset that will serve South Carolinians for many years to come. The NRA is proud to have had this opportunity to work with the SCDNR once again, and we thank the Department for its commitment to the future. I encourage everyone to visit Belfast and enjoy this remarkable resource!"
DNR is in the process of adding a pistol range to this new facility and hopes to announce its opening in the near future.
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