The Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority has approved a $150,000 grant for the Southwest Regional Recreation Authority’s Sportsman’s Complex in Dickenson County.
The funds will be used to finance site development, building(s) construction and building(s) improvements, road, trail, picnic area and parking area improvements, along with the design and engineering to assist with the continued development of the SRRA Sportsman’s Complex in Dickenson County.
In August 2019, SRRA was approved by VCEDA for a $149,945 grant from the VCEDA Tourism Capital Improvement Matching Fund to assist with the development of an archery complex in Dickenson County, which is part of what SRRA now refers to as its “Sportsman’s Complex.” The additional $150,000 recently approved, which will come from the VCEDA Dickenson County Account, builds upon the original grant, bringing VCEDA’s total commitment to the project to up to $299,945 total. The Dickenson County Industrial Development Authority provided a letter of support for the project.
“VCEDA is pleased to continue to assist in the development of the Sportsman’s Complex in Dickenson County as efforts to grow the tourism industry in that county continue,” said Jonathan Belcher, VCEDA executive director/general counsel in a statement. “Two additional full-time jobs and one additional part-time job are anticipated to be created through this project within four years.”
The Southwest Regional Recreation Authority was formed by act of the General Assembly in 2008 for the purpose of establishing and maintaining a Southwest Regional Recreation Area, which was defined as “a system of recreational trails and appurtenant facilities, including trail-head centers, parking areas, camping facilities, picnic areas, recreational areas, historic or cultural interpretive sites and other facilities that are a part of the system.”
“VCEDA and Dickenson County have been supportive in our development of a world class Sportsman Complex which includes an Indoor and Outdoor Archery Ranges, a full Shooting Range which includes Sporting Clays, Skeet, Pistol & Rifle Ranges with more shooting disciplines to be added,” said Melissa Slemp Rose, SRRA executive director in a statement. “This financial support is critical in helping us complete our management center which will serve as the core operations center for the Sportsman Complex.”
“We are extremely excited about the Dickenson County Sportsman’s Complex, said Dickenson County Board of Supervisors Chairman Josh Evans in a statement. “We are grateful for VCEDA working with us and Spearhead to secure this funding package. The Dixon shooting range has tremendous potential. It is a one-of-a-kind shooting range for Southwest Virginia located on one of the most pristine properties in the entire county.
“We hope to make Dickenson County a firearm and archery sport paradise,” Evans added. “This will help us draw sportsmen from all over southwest Virginia, Eastern Kentucky and East Tennessee.”
The Dickenson County Sportman’s Complex is located on 418 Dixon Range Road in Clintwood.