Ben Avery Shooting Facility Happy to see Phoenix City Working to Acquire Pioneer Vill

PHOENIX, AZ – -(Ammoland.com)- Hello Shooters: Many patrons of the Ben Avery Shooting Facility have been following the developments over the last six weeks related to the Pioneer Arizona Living History Museum property located west of I-17 on Pioneer Road in Phoenix. That property borders the Ben Avery property to the north. The following is an update.
The Phoenix City Council voted at a special session on Aug. 18, 2010, to authorize the City to acquire the Pioneer Arizona Living History Museum property from the current owner, either by purchase, donation, or by the power of eminent domain. The current owner had acquired the 92-acre property at a state land auction on July 15, 2010, narrowly outbidding the City.
The City has had a long-standing interest in acquiring the property for the purpose of preserving the museum and land. The Arizona Game and Fish Commission voted unanimously at the Commission’s February 2009 public meeting to support the City’s acquisition efforts to ensure that a family-friendly, historical-themed park be maintained at this location, which would also be compatible with the ongoing operations of the shooting range and serve as a buffer against encroachment.
The Ben Avery Shooting Facility has been in operation since 1960. It is rated a Five-Star facility by the National Association of Shooting Ranges, has been designated a Phoenix Point of Pride, and supports more than 200,000 visitor days annually. The facility is owned by the Arizona Game and Fish Commission and professionally managed and operated by the Arizona Game and Fish Department. It provides a safe, controlled environment that supports recreational and competitive shooting, as well as a venue for law enforcement training, military training, hunter education, beginning and advanced firearms training, and CCW training.
Ben Avery serves local, state, national and international shooters and events. Recent high-profile events hosted at the facility include the 2008 U.S. Olympic Archery Trials, the 2010 U.S. Skeet Open, the annual Winter Range cowboy action and cowboy mounted shooting championships, and the annual Western Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) and Creedmoor Cup high-power rifle competitions, to name a few. In addition, the facility hosts the annual Arizona Game and Fish Department Outdoor Expo, which draws more than 30,000 visitors.
While all Arizona residents and out-of-state visitors have access to the unique Arizona opportunity that the Ben Avery Shooting Facility represents, the Arizona Game and Fish Department receives no general tax revenue, and the range and its facilities represent the contribution of substantial shooter, archer, and sportsmen and sportswomen dollars that support this world-class venue.
The Department will continue to monitor developments on this issue.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, or disability in its programs and activities. If anyone believes that they have been discriminated against in any of the AGFD’s programs or activities, including employment practices, they may file a complaint with the Director’s Office, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086-5000, (602) 942-3000 (602) 942-3000 , or with the Fish and Wildlife Service, 4040 N. Fairfax Dr. Ste. 130, Arlington, VA 22203. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation or this document in an alternative format by contacting the Director’s Office as listed above.
Distributed to you by - AmmoLand.com – The Shooting Sports News source.

 

I miss that place.

 

I'm lucky to live near it. It's a great facility.