ARIZONA GAME AND FISH DEPARTMENT INTER OFFICE MEMO TO: Glenn Dickens, Funds/Planning Manager From: Don Turner, Field Operations Coordinator Acting Chief Rangemaster Ben Avery Shooting Facility Subject: FY 1995-96 Annual Report, Hunter Education Program, Objective 6, Approach A and B. Date: August 26, 1996 Please find attached the original and two copies of the Annual Report for our operation and management of the Ben Avery Shooting Facility from July 1, 1995 to June 30, 1996. cc: Tom Spalding, Deputy Director Kerry Baldwin, Project Leader Terry Allison, President ASRPA Bill Brandel, Rangemaster Michele Widhalm, Rangemaster BASF09:082696 STATE OF ARIZONA FISCAL YEAR 1995-1996 Title: Hunter Education Annual Report Narrative Title: Arizona Hunter Education Program Job: Hunter Education: Segment 25 Job Segment Objective: Objective 6: Approaches Approach A) Enhance, expand and protect qualified existing training facilities, including shooting facilities, necessary to carry out hunter education programs and activities. Activities: (1) Implement a comprehensive property management program at Ben Avery Shooting Facility to include coverage in the areas of Range Safety, Facility Security, Fire Protection, Facilities Maintenance /Support, and Public Use. (2) Implement a comprehensive property operations program at Ben Avery Shooting Facility to include coverage in the areas of Volunteer Coordination, Facility Scheduling, Cooperative Agreements, and Development of Long Range Operational Plans. Approach A) Activities 1 & 2 : Accomplishments The Department assumed operation of the Facility on August 1, 1995. Consequently, the following report and information covers only eleven months. Both of these activities have been integral to the management and operation of the Ben Avery Shooting Facility (BASF) during the project year. In many areas, management and operational activities overlap. As a result, both of these activities and their accomplishments are presented together. Initially, it was the Department's intent to manage and operate the Facility for a short term period while a nationwide search would find a suitable partner to operate the Facility. As such, a short term budget was approved, and special assignments of three Department personnel were made. During our management and operation phase, two factors became obvious. The public was pleased with the Department's operation and management and wished the Department to continue to operate. As a demonstration of this support, a signature petition of approximately 3,000 names was presented to the Arizona Game and Fish Commission. Secondly, the size of the facility and its physical condition caused all but three interested parties to not respond to the bid process. Of the three that responded, two stated that the Department should continue to operate the Facility. Consequently, in February of 1996, the Department was directed by the Arizona Game and Fish Commission to prepare a long term budget and operational plan. During this project year, many documents relating to, public use, public regulation, standards, and procedures were completed to upgrade the operation and management of the Facility. These included the following: (some of these are attached to this report). Facility Logo Transition Project Outline Range Operation and Management Priorities Entry Rules Range Safety Rules Campground Use Rules Range Use Procedures Main Range Commands User Agreement Volunteer Agreement Host Agreement Key Use Agreement User Fee Schedule Invoice Reservation Form Facility Map Campground Map Five Year Project Narrative and budgets for full operation. Comprehensive Project list. Operational and Management Standards and Guidelines for bid proposal Public Informational Brochure In addition to the establishment of management and operational procedures, many projects were completed by priority established by the Operational Priority document. These included: Immediate grading of fire breaks Immediate maintenance of safety berms Operation and Management Assessment Facility Safety Inspection by National Rifle Association Improvement of safety at Main Range with addition of "red" firing line and "yellow" safety line, improvement of safety tower, target sales box, upgrade of PA system, installation of safety flag, and installation of target frame holders. Installation of new padlocks and door locks Establishment of new hours to meet public requests (8 AM to 6 PM changed to 7 AM to 7 PM) Termite inspection and treatment of all buildings. Pumping 11 spectic systems. Complete resignage of Facility based on signage plan Establishment of reservation and electronic scheduling system. Establishment of electronic data base to record fees, volunteer hours, and user information. Cooperative interaction with Arizona State Rifle and Pistol Association as citizen guidance and input, and in conjunction, establishment of BASF users group meetings. Facility wide clean up. Restoration and clean up of campground. Reopened in November 1995 for shooters. New firearm use certificate program (250 distributed) Ten day shooter's pass Attendance at National Shooting Range Symposium VISITOR INFORMATION The Facility provided recreational and educational services for approximately 52,278 shooters. The type of use is presented below. In April of 1995 we began to track numbers of Junior shooters, who do not pay a range fee, and in May, women shooters. Women adult shooters are reflected in the overall number of shooters. They appeared to be a growing group of shooters, and tracking was initiated to confirm this observation. As campers are also shooters, the camper days are not included in the visitor totals. The Trap and Skeet ranges were operated by a private group retained by Maricopa County. They were replaced as of July 1996. Unfortunately, the County lease did not require the tracking of visitors. During this eleven month period, however, the Trap and Skeet ranges threw 31,676 "rounds" of birds. One round is one shooter shooting 25 birds. The average of rounds per shooter is unknown this project year. TYPE OF USE VISITORS Main Range 35,091 Archery Ranges 2,855 Match Shooters 10,260 Police 531 Commercial 2,606 Juniors 654 Total Visitors 53,997 Campers 1,566 Women shooters 375 Trap and Skeet 31,676 rounds* VOLUNTEER SERVICES All volunteers helping with the operation were added to our Hunter Education Project volunteer program per Department policy. They provided assistance in the areas of Main Range safety and instruction, ground and building maintenance, target frame construction and repair, and archery range support. Total volunteer donated services for this eleven month project period totals 15,368 man-hours, or 1,921 man-days, or 7.7 full time employees. The work accomplished by volunteers is equivalent to the work being performed by our employees earning $12.00 per hour of personal services. This amounted to $184,416 of donated labor charges. Only hours dedicated to helping us operate and manage the facility were recorded. Consequently, this information does not include the normal user group pre and post match activities which are necessary for competitive events. Approach B) Evaluate shooting facility user needs and satisfaction to better provide access, opportunity, and services. Activities: (1) Develop a user survey program at Ben Avery Shooting Facility to focus on user characteristics, demographics, expectations, and satisfaction. Approach B) Activity 1: Accomplishments A comprehensive questionnaire was developed to determine the demographics of the BASF users, and to ascertain their level of satisfaction of provided services, and their desires for the future. These questionnaires were routed through our public responsiveness office before printing and distribution. A sample is attached. Three thousand questionnaires were printed, however, only 2,000 were distributed. The distribution was by placement of questionnaires at ten selected sites near BASF. They were: Main Range BASF, Phoenix Sports, Sports Authority, Annette's Powder Keg, Phoenix Shooters Supply, Lone Wolf Gun Shop, Don's Sporting Goods, Legendary Firearms, Arizona Sportsman, Outpost Sporting Goods. Questionnaires were accepted for eight months (August 1995 through April 1996). At which time the responses were compiled. The final report is in draft stage, but the responses reveal the following information: We received 402 completed questionnaires. Of these, the majority were from males (356, 92%), (females 31, 8%). Their average age was 47.8. They made an average of 19.5 trips to BASF in the last year which lasted an average of 3 hours per visit. Of these 3.25 trips per year (16.6%) were for firearms sight in. 162 of them belong to some type of shooting club (40%), and 278 of them hunt (69%). Of the ones that hunt, their average number of years they have been hunting is 18.8. 153 of them had children whose average age was 13.7. Of these, 117 hunt (76%), and 110 have taken Hunter Education courses (72%). Of the 278 respondents who hunt, 172 have taken Hunter Education Courses (62%). Of the 402 respondents, 57 do muzzleloading (14%); 323 center fire pistol (80%); 315 center fire rifle (78%); 268 smallbore rifle (67%). Note: these percentages will exceed 100% because most shooters are interested in more than one type of shooting. 122 of the respondents are interested and participate in archery activities (30%). They make an average of 5.3 trips to BASF and spend one hour per visit. 17 are members of an archery club (14%). 298 shoot shotgun (74%). Of these, 127 utilize the trap and skeet ranges (43%) and make an average of 7.4 trips there a year. Their average stay is one hour per visit. 40 of these belong to a trap or skeet club (13%). 253 respondents reload their own ammo (63%). According to the survey, the following total amounts of ammunition are fired by these shooters annually at BASF (this is the total for 402 shooters!): Muzzleloaders 1,026 (average 18); center fire pistol 441,418 (average 1,367); center fire rifle 198,258 (average 629); shotgun 269,210 (average 903); smallbore 300,968 (average 1,123). 155 shooters stated that they shoot more over the last five years (49%). 46 shoot less (15%). About the same was 115 (36%). 33 thought the fees were to high, 27 to low, and 320 about right (80%). 63 of the respondents served as BASF volunteer program and donated an average of 17 hours each. Generally the respondents felt the Department was doing a good job and complimented the improved safety procedures. BASF09:082696