U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT NEWS RELEASE
Utah State Office
Utah State Office
| Contacts: | Jessica Gardetto | , (801) 539-4020 Cell | , (208) 859-8378 |
Lake Mountain Target Shooting Closure
Salt Lake City, UT---The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Salt Lake Field Office (SLFO) is issuing a temporary shooting closure of approximately 900 acres within the Lake Mountain area for public health and safety. The closure will take effect on August 17, 2012 and remain in effect for a period of at least two years with possible extension.
Recreational shooters are engaging in target practice within the relatively flat terrain of the Lake Mountains, near homes and private property. This lower-elevation shooting is causing stray bullets to land near homes, automobiles and citizens, creating a serious safety hazard.
“This temporary closure is necessary to protect the public and local residents from errant recreational gunfire on the lower slopes of the Lake Mountains,” said Field Manager Jill Silvey.
The lands designated for this closure are also adjacent to State Highway 68, which increases the potential for injury to motorists. “The BLM is closing an area that is close to the highway and not the best place for the public to go shooting,” said James O. Tracy, Utah County Sheriff.
Signs notifying the public that the area is closed to target shooting will be posted along Highway 68 and at all road intersections. The closure will not affect legal hunting that takes place during established hunting seasons. The area remains open to motor vehicle use and other forms of recreation such as hiking, biking, and sightseeing.
The Salt Lake Field Office manages 3.2 million acres of public land in western Utah and the majority of it remains open to shooting. “We are working closely with the BLM to develop more areas where the public can enjoy target shooting safely,” said Utah County Comissioner Doug Witney.
Anyone violating the closure may be fined up to $1,000, imprisoned for up to 12 months, or both. Violators may also be subject to additional fines.
A map of the temporary closure area is located here: http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/salt_lake.html
The BLM encourages the public to safely engage in target shooting activities and to follow Leave No Trace (http://lnt.org/) and Tread Lightly! (http://www.treadlightly.org/) principles while enjoying their public lands.
For more information, contact: Kevin Oliver (801) 977-4300.
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The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
Utah State Office 440 West 200 South, Suite 500 SLC, UT 84101-1345