Game and Fish could be new owners of Adair

Next week, the Yuma County Board of Supervisors will discuss the possible transfer of ownership of Adair Shooting park to the Arizona Game and Fish Commission, and proponents say the move could benefit the park.

Yuma County resident Robbie Woodhouse, who currently serves on the Fish and Game Commission, said the move would help the park remain a permanent amenity in Yuma County.

"The rationale for this whole proposal would be the stable and committed support way into the future, ensuring that it would always be a range available to the residents of Yuma County," Woodhouse said.

On Monday, at its regular meeting, the board will discuss the possibility of transferring ownership of Adair range, located northeast of Yuma along Highway 95, from the county to the Game and Fish Commission.

The meeting is at 9 a.m. Monday at 198 S. Main St. in Yuma and is open to the public.

Woodhouse said the Game and Fish Commission currently owns five ranges throughout the state and operates one of those five, a range located in Phoenix. He said the agency is currently in negotiations to assume ownership of five additional ranges.

The Adair range is currently operated by the group Adair Inc., which is made up of members of five local sporting clubs. The group originally approached the Commission with the idea, Woodhouse said.

Ron Gissendaner, president of Adair Inc., said operation of the park would not change.

"It's just a preservation of the facility," Gissendaner said. "Once it becomes an Arizona Game and Fish range, it will always be a range."

"They won't see anything but the sign (change)."

Yuma County Administrator Robert Pickels said "we saw that as a distinct advantage to having the Commission step in and assume the ownership role."

"The one assurance that we wanted to have from (Adair Inc.) is that the Adair range would remain fully accessible to the public as it is now," Pickels said. "That's the critical piece of the process for us."

Pickels said that if the Commission were to assume ownership, it could present opportunities for additional funding through the agency. It would also mean the Commission would assume liability for the property, he said, something that the county does now.

Currently, there is no charge for admission, only for groups such as recreational groups or local law enforcement, to reserve time at the range, Gissendaner said. With that money, he said, the group is able to operate the park.

The park, which covers more than 600 acres, provides visitors with an opportunity to practice six different disciplines of shooting, including trap and skeet, black powder, silhouette, a 1,000 yard range, a small bore range and archery.

While local recreational organization the Yuma Valley Rod and Gun Club does not plan to vote whether or not to officially endorse the proposed move, President Jim Ammens said he's "personally all for it."

And any rumors that a change of ownership would limit visitors' access to the park or the possibility of an admission fee aren't true, he said.

Representatives with the Commission made a presentation to the club last week, Ammens said.

"Our worries have been set aside so to speak," he said.

If the agency does acquire the range, one of the first things that would happen is a safety evaluation, Woodhouse said.

The "Shooting Sports Branch" of the Game and Fish would be on hand to offer a range of services, including engineering support, he said.

"Because of the vast knowledge they have, the Commission can provide oversight and great expertise on anything that could come up with ranges," he said.

Both Pickels and Woodhouse said they want the public to be a part of a possible transfer; they want that process to be "transparent."

"We would like to encourage as many members of the public who use the range or may use the range in the future," to attend the meeting Monday," he said. "So that everybody can be well informed.

"And we want everybody to ask questions."

Stephanie A. Wilken can be reached at swilken@yumasun.com or 539-6857.