Campbell County one of two finalists for state shooting complex

GILLETTE (WNE) — Campbell County is one of two finalists for a state shooting complex.

The state shooting complex oversight task force listened to presentations from three communities Monday in Casper, and it asked followup questions Tuesday morning before making a decision.

Campbell County and Park County were selected for site visits. Central Wyoming, which includes Casper, was the odd man out. Cheyenne also had been selected to do a presentation but withdrew its proposal before Monday.

In total, nine communities submitted proposals to the state shooting complex oversight task force.

The task force will visit Gillette on July 17, and a final decision on where to locate the shooting complex will be made July 22.

If Campbell County is selected, the facility would be located on a 5,500-acre piece of land southeast of Cam-plex known as the Spaeth Ranch that the county is purchasing from a private landowner.

Tuesday, each member of the task force revealed their top two choices.

“I love the central location of Casper, but I can’t get over the flatness,” said Dave Glenn, director of Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites, and Trails. “I think we need a wow factor, I’m going to shoot for Park and Campbell.”

Sen. John Kolb, R-Rock Springs, said Campbell County’s community support stood out to him.

“You can’t beat the wow factor of Park County, but you can’t beat the commitment I’m hearing from Campbell County,” he said. “I’ll leave it there and look forward to finding out more.”

This story was published on June 25, 2024.