Dingell Act Closures

As of today, the BLM has not made any final decisions to permanently or temporarily close federal lands to hunting, fishing, or recreational shooting.

IDAHO

Four Rivers Field Office Resource Management Plan (Boise District Office) 5,773 acres permanently closed. The Four Rivers Field Office Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan permanently prohibited the use of firearms within OHV open areas (2,940 ac.), the Payette Special Recreation Management Area (1,610 ac.), and within 0.25 mile of developed recreation sites (1,223 ac.), unless BLM issues a special recreation permit to allow their use. Legal hunting is allowed in all locations.

OREGON/WASHINGTON

San Juan Islands NM Resource Management Plan (Spokane District Office) 1,021 acres permanently closed. The San Juan Islands National Monument prohibited the discharge of firearms and use of bows within the Monument except as associated with lawful hunting practices in the Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan. The closure is to protect Monument objects and values as identified in the Presidential proclamation establishing the area. The availability of the Record of Decision was published in the Federal Register on 01/31/2023 (Doc. Num. 2023-01971).

In fiscal year 2022, the BLM did not make any final decisions to permanently or temporarily close federal lands to hunting, fishing, or recreational shooting.

ALASKA

Fairbanks District Office Administrative Site (Fairbanks District Office) 11.4 acres permanently closed to hunting and shooting.
The Fairbanks District Office permanently closed the 11.4 acres of public land containing the district office and associated structures to hunting and the use of all weapons. The district office is in a densely populated mixed residential/commercial area of Fairbanks, Alaska. The closure was noticed as a supplementary rule published in the Federal Register on 08/05/2021 (Doc. Num. 2021-16535).

MONTANA/DAKOTAS

Missoula Resource Management Plan (Western Montana District Office) 20,250 acres permanently closed to recreational shooting.
The Missoula Field Office permanently closed five separate areas (i.e., Dupont acquired lands, Bear Creek Flats, Blackfoot SRMA, Limestone Cliffs Area, and Garnett Ghost Town) to target shooting in the Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan for the Missoula Field Office. Legal hunting is allowed in all locations, except Garnett Ghost Town. The availability of the Record of Decision was published in the Federal Register on 08/04/2020 (Doc. Num. 2020-16926).

OREGON

Anderson Butte Safety Project (Medford District Office) 50 acres temporarily closed to shooting.
The Medford District Office temporarily closed 11 sites totaling almost 50 acres (each site is approximately 4.5 acres) to recreational target shooting. The closure will remain in effect until December 2023. The closure is to reduce public health and safety issues from unsafe target shooting practices until a final management decision is made. The closure is established as a Closure Notice published in the Federal Register on 10/28/2021 (Doc. Num. 2021-23495).

UTAH

Northern Corridor Right-of-Way Mitigation (Color Country District Office) 3,471 acres permanently closed to shooting.
In January 2021, the Secretary of the Interior approved an amendment to the St. George Field Office Resource Management Plan permanently closing 3,471 acres to target shooting. The closure is part of a habitat mitigation plan associated with the Northern Corridor Right-of-Way within the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area. The closure decision is included in the Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan Amendments for the Northern Corridor Right-of-Way, Red Cliffs National Conservation Area Resource Management Plan and St. George Field Office Resource Management Plan. The availability of the Record of Decision was published in the Federal Register on 01/15/2021 (Doc. Num. 2021-00652).

ARIZONA

Phoenix-Area Recreational Shooting Project (Phoenix District Office) 9,308 acres permanently closed (2 closures - 8,769 ac. to shooting; 539 ac. to shooting and all entry). In January 2020, the BLM's Phoenix District approved the construction of five developed recreation areas for recreational shooting in the Recreational Shooting Sports Project Final Environmental Assessment (NEPA Number: DOI-BLM-AZ-P000-2019-0001-EA). The decision permanently closed 8,769 acres to shooting per 43 CFR 8365.2-5 as a developed recreation area. An additional 539 acres were closed to shooting and all entry immediately adjacent to the shooting ranges as a Hazardous Exclusion Area (HEA) to provide for public health and safety. The HEA closure was established as a supplementary rule published in the Federal Register on 04/12/2021 (Doc. Num. 2021-05174).

UTAH

Bears Ears National Monument Management Plans (Canyon Country District Office) 244 acres permanently closed. The Bears Ears National Monument permanently closed rock writing sites and structural cultural sites to target shooting in the Record of Decision and Approved Monument Management Plans for the Bears Ears National Monument. The closure is to protect significant cultural resources. The availability of the Record of Decision was published in the Federal Register on 02/20/2020 Doc. Num. 2020-03375.

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Management Plan (Paria River District Office) 6,827 acres permanently closed. The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument permanently closed target shooting within at least 0.25 mile of residences, campgrounds, and developed recreation sites and areas, or greater depending on area-specific conditions in the Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plans for the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The availability of the Record of Decision was published in the Federal Register on 02/20/2020 (Doc. Num. 2020-03395).

UTAH

North Klondike Campground (Canyon Country District Office) 77 acres permanently closed to shooting.
In September 2019, the BLM’s Moab Field Office approved the construction of the North Klondike Campground in the Klondike Bluffs Mountain Bike Focus Area Environmental Assessment (NEPA Number DOI-BLM-UT-Y010-2019-0021-EA). The decision permanently closed 77 acres to shooting in accordance with 43 CFR 8365.2-5 as a developed recreation site. An associated supplementary rule was noticed in the Federal Register on 4/27/2022 (Doc. Num. 2022-08859).