After seeming to avoid Maricopa when it first scheduled meetings about target-shooting land next to Maricopa, the Bureau of Land Management has now set up a meeting in Copper Sky.

BLM’S Phoenix District Office scheduled two additional information meetings at which it seeks input on recreational target shooting management alternatives for the Sonoran Desert National Monument.

The first meeting will be Feb. 11, from noon to 3 p.m. at the Copper Sky Recreation Center, 44342 W. Martin Luther King Blvd.

A second meeting will be Feb. 21, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Burton Barr Central Library located at 1221 N Central Ave., in Phoenix.

Based on public comments and suggestions received during the scoping process in 2016, the BLM has developed and analyzed a range of management alternatives included in a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Draft Resource Management Plan Amendment (RMPA) released on Dec. 16, 2016.

The range of alternatives to address impacts from recreational target shooting was presented at three public meetings held in January at the BLM National Training Center in Phoenix, the Arizona Game and Fish Department in Phoenix and at the Dorothy Powell Senior Center in Casa Grande.

During the first 30 minutes of each meeting, the BLM will provide opening remarks describing the ground rules and will proceed to present the alternatives. The remaining time will be conducted in an open house format, during which staff will answer additional questions and receive input to be considered.

The BLM 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.

The 90-day comment period will close on March 15. All comments must be received prior to this date in order to be included in the final analysis.  Following the public comment period, the BLM will consider all of the input and begin work to finalize the RMPA and EIS.

Stakeholders are encouraged to submit their comments for the record through the BLM online land use planning tool, ePlanning. Written comments may be mailed to the BLM’s project manager, Wayne Monger, at 21605 N. 7th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85027, faxed to (623) 580-5623, or emailed to [email protected].

SDNM RMP Planning Website: http://bit.ly/SDNMtargetshooting

All comments will be made available to the public.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR