The staff and officers of the Ohio Division of Wildlife and front and center is (left to right) Chief of the Division of Wildlife Kendra Wecker and ODNR Director Mary Mertz cutting the ribbon to open the newly renovated Tranquility Wildlife Area Shooting Range on Tuesday, November 22. (Photo by Tom Cross)
The Tranquility Wildlife Area Shooting Range finally re-opened on Tuesday, November 22. (Photo by Tom Cross)
It’s been a long wait but worth the wait. The Tranquility Wildlife Area Shooting Range finally re-opened on Tuesday, November 22. A nearly four-year project from funding to planning to firing the first shot at the new range and at a cost of around 1.5 million to renovate, the new range is nothing like the old range for those that can remember that far back. The new range has shooting benches for 20 shooters, a 50-yard, 25-yard and 7-yard handgun range. Two separated shooting areas with 10 sheltered benches each. The shooting benches have a roofline that extends well beyond the barrel of the gun and is done so shooters cannot shoot at an upward angle and send a bullet above the backstop.
The old Tranquility range was originally closed in 2016 and there was a question if the range would ever open again. However, the range received a new lease on life when in 2019 the State Controlling Board approved $575,000 for improvements to the Tranquility Shooting Range. Total cost for the complete renovation at Tranquility tiped the scales at over $1.3 million with 75 percent of the funding coming in the form a grant from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Land purchases for the Tranquility Wildlife Area begin in 1956 and now comprise over 4,250 acres. The gun range was originally constructed by the Ohio National Guard in the early 1960’s. Big improvements came to the range in 2002 when new shooting benches were built, draining issues addressed, new fencing installed, and the backstop improved at an estimated cost of $35,000. The range reopened in October of 2002, and later as a scout’s project, a roof was added over the shooting benches. Fourteen years after those initial improvements the range begin showing its age and due to safety concerns, erosion at the backstop and lack of maintenance, the range was closed.
Drainage was a big issue at the old range but with the new range the ground level was raised nearly two feet and drainage lines installed in the backstop and other areas. Originally Tranquility had a 100-yard rifle range that has been shortened to 50 yards.
The Tranquility Range is a Class B Range, which basically means it is unsupervised, but according to Assistance Chief Todd Haines, the Division of Wildlife is going to patrol it regularly and ODNR staff will have a continued presence there.
A $24 annual range permit is required although a cheaper one-day range permit is available. Shooters 17 years old or younger are not required to purchase a permit but must be accompanied by an adult with a valid range permit.
Amenities at the range include gun holders, seating benches, and six picnic tables on concrete pads. According to Haines, next summer a permanent public restroom will be built. Portable restrooms are now at the range. The range is ADA compliant with concrete walkways for easy accessibility.
Shooters must first check in by scanning the QR code on their cell phone at the information board at the entrance of the range and give their customer ID number. Another option for signing in at the time of arrival is on a paper form and writing down the customer ID number. According to Haines, once you check in a survey will be emailed or mailed to you asking about your experience at the range.
The range is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. until sunset. Range rules are posted at the information board at the entrance.
At the grand opening, hosted by Ohio Valley Longbeards, Division of Wildlife Chief Kendra Wecker and ODNR Director Mary Mertz spoke and cut the ribbon to the new range.
“I’m real excited to cut the ribbon and open this range and continue to improve shooting ranges around Ohio,” said Director Mertz. “In the last two capital bills almost 40 million dollars have been dedicated to wildlife projects. That’s a new thing. Wildlife has never been in the capital bill before, and I think that’s transformational. In additional to our new shooting ranges, we’re looking at northwest Ohio where there aren’t a lot of shooting ranges and looking for opportunities up there. At Adams Lake there is a new Story Book Trail and a I’m excited about a Visitor Center opening soon at Adams Lake. I’m excited about Adams County. Adams County is getting a lot of love from the Department of Natural Resources these days. So thank you, and I think we need to cut the ribbon.”
