Foothills Public Shooting Complex

History of Foothills Public Shooting Complex of Cleveland County

In the fall of 2010 during a casual conversation between Sam Lockridge, Director of Solid Waste for Cleveland County, and the Honorable Johnny Hutchins, Cleveland County Commissioner, the idea of creating a safe spot on the landfill buffer area for local hunters to zero their rifles was first discussed. That idea evolved into the largest outdoor public shooting complex in the Southeast opening on April 19, 2016. Foothills Public Shooting Complex of Cleveland County is safe, modern and unique facility for multiple shooting sports to include rifle, handgun, steel targets, skeet, trap, archery and 3D archery. Foothills Public Shooting Complex was established to meet the following needs:

To provide a safe and modern facility for the public to enjoy the shooting sports

Provide a flexible firearms training area for law enforcement agencies

Educate the public on safe firearms handling and marksmanship with a special emphasis on opportunities for Youth

Provide a safe and convenient alternative as private rural areas safe for target practice diminish as the population grows

Economic development with the goal of hosting local, state, national and international shooting sports competitions

The Cleveland County landfill has a buffer area that can be used for recreation use. After some initial conversations the county commissioners authorized an architect to look at the feasibility of building a shooting range and some concept drawings were made.

To gauge community support for the range a petition drive was conducted which collected over 1,000 signatures. As the idea was being discussed it became apparent there was support for the range from a large number of people in the community. Under the