MARQUETTE, MI-- The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has signed a lease agreement that clears the way for construction of a shooting range in Richmond Township.
The range will be west of Marquette off M-35 along the Goose Lake Access Road. The $800,000 public facility is on 25 acres of property owned by Cleveland Cliffs, Incorporated.
Officials say the range will meet National Rifle Association and Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines. It will also use state-of-the-art sound control measures and environmental containment features.
Funding is being provided through a federal grant administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and supplemented by the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund.
Officials are hoping to get environmental studies and some engineering done on the project before the snow flies. The DNR and volunteers are also picking up trash and other debris from illegal target shooting at the site.