November 8, 2026

Fitchburg, Wis. — Applicants requested more than $2.2 million in this year’s shooting range grant program, but the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) had only $600,000 available.
The $1.6 million-plus shortfall in 2026 funding compared to application requests is the largest in the past six years. This does not include the “unrealized local shooting range investments” that would have come from the 25% match required of applicants. Last year’s unrealized local contribution was $330,467. The unrealized 2026 investment was not available when this issue went on press.