COLUMBIA COUNTY (WKOW) -- Today, Tuesday, July 24, the first free, public gun range opens in Columbia County. The public can begin to use it shortly after a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10 a.m.
The project is 20 years in the making. The DNR shut down the makeshift range in the Swan Lake Wildlife Area after neighbors expressed concerns about stray bullets landing in their yards and noise.
The Columbia County Sporting Alliance and the DNR have worked together for the last two decades picking the right spot for the range.
As a safety feature, it's surrounded by grassy berms to stop bullets from getting out of the area.
The DNR told 27 News that there won't be a paid staff person on site but two groups will jointly manage the site for facility maintenance.