< All Press Releases

SALT LAKE CITY—The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Salt Lake Field Office (SLFO) today released a proposed plan that would ensure public safety and protect cultural resources by restricting target shooting on an area in the Eastern Lake Mountains.  In recent years, shooting incidents have threatened residential homes, school children, and visiting public in the area.  Additionally, ancient rock art in the area has been irreparably damaged from shooting.

The proposed plan supports a long-term target shooting closure on approximately 2,000 acres of public lands, which would replace and expand the temporary 900-acre closure that has been in place since 2012. The closure addresses public safety and private property damage concerns and helps protect irreplaceable petroglyphs, which have been permanently damaged by target shooting.  Even with an expanded closure area, 7.5 million acres in the BLM-Utah West Desert District would remain open to responsible target shooting.

“This proposed plan balances the need to protect public safety and cultural resources while also providing for areas that are open and accessible for public target shooting in the Eastern Lake Mountains area,” said BLM-Utah State Director Ed Roberson.

To help meet target shooting demands in the area, the BLM transferred 160 acres of public land to Utah County earlier this year to develop the Soldier Pass Shooting Range in the southeastern Lake Mountains.  Utah County has arranged for the National Guard to begin construction this spring with completion planned in summer 2017.  The new shooting range is less than three miles from the current closure area.

The Proposed Eastern Lake Mountains Target Shooting Plan Amendment, Environmental Assessment (EA) and Finding of No Significant Impact was developed after careful consideration of public feedback and detailed discussions with cooperating agencies, including the Utah County Commission and the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA).

"We’ve had a number of discussions about public target shooting opportunities while working with the BLM on this plan,” said Utah County Commissioner Larry Ellertson.  ”We look forward to providing recreational shooting opportunities at the new Soldier Pass Shooting Range and appreciate the BLM’s support in helping the County develop this new facility.”

“Strong public input into the planning process for this project has been encouraging. Curbing resource and public safety problems resulting from undisciplined target shooting hinges on public support and compliance with these necessary changes,” said Deputy Director of SITLA Kim Christy. “Because trust lands are significantly intermixed with public lands in this area, SITLA is pleased to partner in this effort.”

In response to comments and feedback from cooperating agencies, the BLM revised the plan amendment to reduce the closure area size from what was originally released as the preferred Alternative C in the draft plan amendment/EA. The proposed plan amendment represents the minimum necessary closure to protect the petroglyphs and public safety, while leaving a substantial area available for responsible target shooting on public lands in the Eastern Lake Mountains.

“I appreciate the work that has gone into creating the Eastern Lake Mountains Target Shooting Plan,” said Utah County Commissioner Bill Lee.  “As a cooperating partner with the BLM, SITLA, and Saratoga Springs—along with input from the rock art community and the target shooting community—I believe the negotiated plan represents the best possible solution for protecting Utah County’s cultural resources and ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of those who live and recreate in the Eastern Lake Mountains area.”

The draft plan amendment/EA was released on Apr. 14, 2016, and the public comment period ended on May 31, 2016. The proposed plan amendment/EA analyzes the proposed plan amendment, summarizes changes made after the draft plan amendment/EA was issued, and includes public comments and the BLM’s responses to these comments. The proposed plan amendment/EA is open for a 30-day protest period ending on Jan. 13, 2017 (4:30 pm MST). Any person who participated in the planning process for this proposed plan amendment and has an interest which is, or may be adversely, affected by the planning decisions may protest approval of these planning-level decisions by this date.

The BLM is also extending the temporary target shooting closure on about 900 acres of the Eastern Lake Mountains that has been in place since 2012. The extension of this temporary closure is necessary to ensure continued public safety while the proposed plan is finalized.  A notice of the temporary closure extension published in the Federal Register on Dec. 15, 2016.

Electronic versions of the proposed plan amendment/EA and information on how to file a protest is available on the BLM NEPA Register website:

• https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/nepa/nepa_register.do
  Click on “Text Search”; choose Utah, Salt Lake Field Office, EA, and 2015
  Document name: DOI-BLM-UT-W010-2015-0023-EA Eastern Lake Mountains Target Shooting Plan Amendment)

If you plan to protest, please present all relevant facts supporting your protest, including applicable sections of the environmental assessment and reference to or citing the associated documents or available planning records. Review the guidance on filing a valid protest here:

http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/planning/planning_overview/protest_resolution/filinginstructions.html

For additional information, please contact Matt Preston, Salt Lake Field Manager, at (801) 977-4300. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at (800) 877-8339 to leave a message or question for the above individuals. The FRS is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Replies are provided during normal business hours.