NEWS RELEASE
Jan. 22, 2024
PHOENIX — The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is seeking public input on a proposed amendment to its resource management plan to significantly reduce the amount of open area for recreational target-shooting within the Sonoran Desert National Monument, near Gila Bend.
The proposed resource management plan amendment would make recreational target-shooting available on 5,295 acres of the monument and unavailable on the remaining 480,496 acres. The monument, established in 2001, contains 485,791 acres of BLM-managed public lands in Maricopa and Pinal counties.
BLM’s Phoenix District Office issued a news release Friday, Dec. 19. A notice announcing the beginning of a 60-day public comment period was expected to be published in the Federal Register on Monday, Jan. 22. The proposed resource management plan amendment also includes a 30-day protest period that begins the same day.
Comments may be submitted to BLM_AZ_SDNMtargetshooting@blm.gov, or by mail to BLM Sonoran Desert National Monument, Attn.: RMPA EA, 2020 E. Bell Road, Phoenix, AZ 85022. All comments must be received by Friday, March 22.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department, in partnership with BLM and the U.S. Forest Service, recognizes the importance of protecting public access and enhancing outdoor recreational opportunities, including recreational target-shooting.