The Wyoming State Shooting Complex Joint Powers Board has been through a number of different design iterations, but at the Dec. 18 meeting board members unanimously agreed on a general layout to move forward with. 

Design committee chair Danny Michaels said the presented layout takes in a lot of recommendations from experts and input made on the previous roughly half-dozen designs.

“If you’re happy with this, we will utilize this as our design layout moving forward, and sort of put all those other ones in the archive, and then, as it needs further refinement, look to our actual designers, engineers and Patrick to come up with those adjustments,” he said. 

New CEO Patrick Giles, who spent eight hours out at the site soon after accepting the job, was in support of the design as well. 

“I have had the opportunity to go out with the land and spend a fair amount of time out at the site, reviewing the plans,” he said. “And I would like to commend Danny on efforts he’s made to improve the design and layout of the facility. I have a high degree of confidence that this layout is going to be very successful for the complex.”

While the long range rifle range has remained roughly the same through each as it takes up the wild, hilly land taking up a large chunk of the southwestern portion of the 2,000-acre site, many other disciplines have moved around after more and more feedback. 

One of big changes, for instance, is to the sporting clays areas — three are identified — to address feedback from experts in the discipline to find the most exciting terrain. Michaels said that also gives more space for trap and skeet shooting to accommodate bigger events in that generally high revenue discipline. 

Another big change is moving the known distance rifle range south to an area that will allow for more potential shooters and provide at least 1,000 yards, and up to 1,200 yards, of shooting. 

Additionally, with how the main road system is sited, Michaels and board member James Klessens said it will cost less, move less dirt and therefore have less of an impact on the land and animals that use it, which has been one of the main concerns of a number of people. 

At the meeting, board members approved a contract for up to $657,000 to do the dirtwork necessary for the main road system. 

“This is the least amount of dirt we can move to achieve our objectives,” Michaels said, noting it’s still a big number. 

“This is the flipside of having really beautiful topography,” board member Jason Byer said with a laugh.