WEST BAY — County commissioners shot skeet Wednesday afternoon as they officially marked the groundbreaking of a new public gun range.
“It seemed like a good location for us,” Commissioner Guy Tunnell said, minutes after shooting a bright orange, flying projectile at the site. “We didn’t have to worry about development around or safety issues.”
The Bay County Commission, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the National Rifle Association all participated in the event on 11411 Landfill Road near the Steelfield Landfill off State 79.
The ceremony marked the start of the first phase of construction on the 119 acre gun range.
Two bore rifle ranges, a 50-foot pistol range and a classroom will be complete and opened by the end of the summer, officials said. The other two construction phases of the range, including a 15-position sporting clays course, archery, trap and skeet fields, will open in later years as the project is completed.
Using recreation impact fees, the county has approved $200,000 for the range. The NRA contributed $25,000 to the project and FWC, the operator of the facility, has committed to invest about $200,000 in equipment.
The location is sure to draw tourists not only from Panama City Beach, Tunnell noted, but from throughout the region.
The range is not expected to turn a profit, he added. It will be “self-supporting, but affordable.”
Range fees have not yet been established.
In an area where shooting sports can thrive, George Warthen, FWC Regional Hunter Safety Coordinator said the range will be a place to teach gun safety.
“We’re just happy to partner with the county to make this facility and to offer firearm education, so that we can foster safe participation shooting sports,” Warthen said.