Carvers Arena trapshooting site to see upgrades

CARVERS — The Nye County Parks and Recreation Advisory Board is on a mission to turn the Carvers Arena and Recreation Center into a top-notch fairgrounds facility and its members are focusing on grant funding as a means of getting it done.

The advisory board was awarded a $74,765 grant through the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Division of Outdoor Recreation. Following a round of discussion with the Nye County Commission last month, that funding will be put to use in upgrading and expanding an existing amenity at the facility: the trapshooting range.

The Carvers Arena and Recreation Center sits on about 42 acres that along Highway 376 in Carvers, about 10 miles north of Round Mountain in northern Nye County.

“For about two decades, it has been left unmaintained by Nye County and has in fact been maintained by residents here, who have taken care of the property, watched over the property, paid the power bill for Nye County and maintained the equipment and buildings there,” Nye County Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Chair Holly Merritt said.

Despite the passion and volunteerism of those who live in the area, the Carvers Arena and Recreation Center has unfortunately fallen into disrepair. This project would be just the start of the revitalization of the entire complex but it is a project that would immediately make the site much more useable in terms of public competitions and events.

“We would like this property to become an active Nye County fairgrounds, equal in every way to fairgrounds in other Nye County communities,” Merritt stated. “We have a variety of interest groups. One of them is the trap club, the shooting club. There already is an existing trap area there, it’s just very small, with only one trap house. This grant would expand that so we can host events.”

Before the commission made a decision on the grant award, Nye County Grants Administrator Jessica McCutcheon said she had a few concerns that needed to be addressed, the primary of which had to do with potential liability to the county.

“My concern is the firearms that will be there and the insurance needed to cover that,” McCutcheon said.

Nye County Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Secretary Tim Bohannon replied that he was not entirely certain how that would be handled but he was sure it could be accomplished, as the trap shooting site had historically been used for competitions in the past.

Nye County Commissioner Debra Strickland suggested modeling the insurance after other communities, where a formal club is created that can then purchase the needed insurance and simply name Nye County as an additionally insured party. McCutcheon said she believed that would be a workable solution and Nye County District Attorney Brian Kunzi chimed in to note that signage warning people that they are using the site at their own risk would also help defray any potential liability.

Another of the grants team’s concerns centered on the county match required for the grant, which totals $15,200 but Bohannon said that would not be an issue.

He reported that members of the community, as well as parks and recreation board members, were going to come together to contribute around 400 hours of in-kind labor to help fulfill the match requirement. “We also have a good partner up there called Kinross - Round Mountain Gold,” Bohannon remarked, noting that the mining company has already indicated its willingness to help with whatever the advisory board needs for the project.

As detailed in the presentation from the advisory board, the trapshooting project is anticipated to reach completion by May of next year. The scope includes the installation of six new trap machines, a clubhouse, RV/Campground spots, a covered carport, shade trees and picnic tables.

Additional grant funding will be sought to fund the continued overhaul of the overall site, which includes a mudbog area, motocross track, restroom facilities and an equine/rodeo section with bucking chutes, livestock holding pens and covered pens.

“This is just a little drop in the bucket,” McCutcheon emphasized.

Commissioner Frank Carbone made the motion to accept the $74,765 grant, with the required $15,200 match to be covered by in-kind labor or cash. Strickland offered a second and the motion passed with all in favor.

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com