MDC to close staffed shooting ranges starting Friday

THIS CONTENT IS ARCHIVED
News from the region
Statewide
Published Date
03/19/2020
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (MARCH 19, 2020) – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) announces it will close its five staffed shooting ranges starting Friday, March 20, through April 15. MDC will reassess the situation at that point. MDC unstaffed shooting ranges remain open.

The MDC staffed shooting ranges closing Friday are:

  • Andy Dalton Shooting Range and Outdoor Education Center in Greene County,
  • August A. Busch Shooting Range and Outdoor Education Center in St. Charles,
  • Jay Henges Shooting Range and Outdoor Education Center in St. Louis,
  • Lake City Range in Jackson County, and
  • Parma Woods Range and Training Center in Platte County.

MDC’s several dozen unstaffed shooting ranges around the state remain open. Find more information on them at nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/find/places/mdc-ranges.

The staffed shooting range closures add to MDC’s closures of nature centers, visitor centers, and education centers around the state to visitors that started March 19. All closures were done to help protect the public amid ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) and are effective through April 15. MDC will reassess the situation at that point. 

Other closed MDC facilities include:

  • Burr Oak Woods Nature Center in Blue Springs;
  • Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center in Cape Girardeau;
  • Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center in Kansas City;
  • Lost Valley Fish Hatchery in Benton County;
  • Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center in Kirkwood;
  • Rockwoods Reservation in St. Louis County;
  • Runge Conservation Nature Center in Jefferson City;
  • Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery near Branson;
  • Shoal Creek Conservation Education Center in Joplin;
  • Springfield Conservation Nature Center in Springfield; and
  • Twin Pines Conservation Education Center near Winona.

MDC has also cancelled its public events and programs around the state until April 15, including hunter education classes, nature center programs and events, shooting range programs and events, and landowner workshops.

All conservation areas, nature center trails, and boat accesses remain open to the public. MDC offices also remain open under normal operating hours. Hunting, fishing, and trapping seasons continue as scheduled. MDC managed hunts and mentored spring turkey hunts continue as planned.

People can contact their local MDC office with questions. Find MDC contact information at mdc.mo.gov/regional-contacts?county=All.