SPRINGFIELD State officials hope to build a huge shooting range in southern Illinois and persuade the Amateur Trapshooting Association to move its headquarters to the 1,300-acre site.
The Department of Natural Resources is advertising for an architect to develop a plan that includes a 2 1/2-mile line for trap and skeet shooting, archery with three-dimensional targets, 1,000 or more campsites, lakes for fishing, and hiking and biking trails on a reclaimed strip mine near Sparta.
"We started out with a concept of, 'Make no small plans,' here," department Director Joel Brunsvold said. "What's really nice about this site, there's no land limitation here. You can do whatever you want to do down there."
Brunsvold and other officials will visit the American Trapshooting Association's Ohio headquarters next month to make a pitch for moving to Illinois.
The annual Grand American trapshooting contest, which the association says is the world's largest shooting event, draws 7,000 sport shooters and as many spectators, said Stacey Hodkey, the association's sales and promotion manager.
The association must move from its Vandalia, Ohio, site by 2006 because of expansion by an adjacent airport. Its board will decide by Aug. 14 whether to move to Sparta, Indianapolis or San Antonio, which is already home to national shooting organizations, Hodkey said.
The trapshooting association had committed to moving to Sparta two years ago, then pulled back because of financial concerns and because the airport gave it more time to move.
Rep. Dan Reitz, D-Steeleville, said the national skeet shooting and sporting clay associations have already committed to hosting at least six competitive events annually at the site, which could be expanded to 1,500 acres and maybe more. Brunsvold said hotels and restaurants are sure to follow, creating an "economic engine" for southern Illinois.
With 1,000 and perhaps as many as 1,200 campsites, the Sparta facility would have at least triple the number the state has at other campgrounds, said Tim Schweitzer, spokesman for the Department of Natural Resources. It would be enough room for large-scale camping "jamborees," he said.
And non-shooters would be interested in the lakes for fishing and trails for hiking, biking and all-terrain vehicles at the site, which is about a 45-minute drive from St. Louis, Brunsvold said.
The Sparta site is owned by Peabody Coal Co., but the state is close to completing a deal to buy it, Brunsvold said. Although officials expect it to be a multimillion-dollar project, Brunsvold hopes that much of the cost is offset by vendors opening shooting supply stores, wildlife associations, lodges, and campers paying in advance for campsite reservations.
And Reitz said he hopes corporate sponsors will help build state facilities. He said the trapshooting association could help make that happen.
"That will be part of our pitch to them: We're in the infancy of putting this together, and if you want to be part of putting the package together and developing this property, we need a commitment so you can be at the table," he said.
07/30/03 I read this in the local paper I now live in Arizona. Before you make a choice as were to locate remember Illinois is one of the most anti gun states their is!! The mayor of Chicago was pushing a bill in Springfield to make all Semi-auto guns illegal even shotguns. If a shooters organization is going to put up a place were it will be a boost to the economy to me it should be in a state were their are friendly to gun owners. I'd be lookin more in the Western part ot the country were the shooters still have rights. Thank You For Your Time, Chuck Peet (Cottonwood,AZ
