Facility sited on 400 acres north of Rapid City to be called Pete Lien & Sons Shooting Sports Complex after company cuts $2 million check
RAPID CITY, S.D. – The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department’s (GF&P) long-planned shooting sports complex in the Black Hills has a name.
The title sponsor of the recreation and competitive shooting facility located in Meade County will be called the Pete Lien & Sons Shooting Sports Complex, according to GF&P, which announced the Rapid City-based minerals, mining and development company is among the largest private contributors to the project that broke ground in late 2023.
Mired in controversy since its inception four years ago, the 400 acre shooting range was strongly opposed by adjacent ranchers, homeowners and other stakeholders. In addition, there was no funding available other than private donations to build it and little legislative will to commit taxpayer money to the project.
Former South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, on the other hand, is a vocal proponent of the shooting range and freed up $13.1 million from the state’s Future Fund to help towards the estimated $20 million building cost (up $10 million from when the project was first proposed).
The shooting complex is located on Elk Vale Road in Meade County. The complex is expected to host around 180 shooters at a time, offering free public use while potentially bringing national competitions to the area. The design includes a south-end range for the general public and a north range for more experienced shooters, with “action bays” for tactical shooting practice.
“We are out to build a world-class shooting sports complex, and we are doing it — we’re doing it right here in South Dakota,” GF&P Commissioner Kevin Robling said in an interview with The Dakota Scout.
