PHOENIX - The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will conduct three public meetings Jan. 19-21, 2017, regarding recreational target shooting management alternatives for the Sonoran Desert National Monument.

Under a March 2015 federal court order, the BLM was required to reanalyze the impacts of recreational target-shooting on the monument. A range of alternatives was developed based on public comments and suggestions received during the scoping process in 2016. The draft EIS and RMP amendment analyze the impacts of each alternative.

The purpose of the three public meetings is to present the draft management alternatives, answer public questions, and receive public input to be considered as the planning process progresses.

The meeting schedule is:

  • Jan. 19: 5-8 p.m., BLM National Training Center, 9828 N. 31st Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85051.
  • Jan. 20: 5-8 p.m., Arizona Game and Fish Department, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086.
  • Jan. 21: Noon-4 p.m., Dorothy Powell Senior Adult Center, 405 E. 6th St., Casa Grande, AZ 85122.
During the first 30 minutes of each meeting, the BLM will present the alternatives. The last 30 minutes will include a presentation on the project monitoring and mitigation procedure. The time in between presentations will be conducted in open house format.

The BLM stated in a news release that it is committed to meeting the management challenges surrounding recreational target shooting on public lands, including determining where and how this activity can be conducted responsibly, with engagement from public and private stakeholders. Public comments from these meetings, as well as all written comments for the record, will be considered before a decision is made.

Stakeholders and other members of the public are encouraged to submit their written comments via either: (1) the BLM online land use planning tool, ePlanning; (2) mail to Wayne Monger, BLM project manager, 21605 N. 7th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85027; fax to (623) 580-5623; or e-mail to BLM_AZ_SDNMtargetshooting@BLM.gov. All comments must be received prior to the close of the 90-day public comment period March 15.

The Sonoran Desert National Monument RMP Planning Website: http://bit.ly/SDNMtargetshooting.

Arizona Game and Fish Department published this content on 13 January 2017 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein.
Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 14 January 2017 00:10:05 UTC.

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