BLM announces dates and locations for public meetings on target shooting management alternatives on the Sonoran Desert National Monument
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PHOENIX – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM)’s Phoenix District Office has announced dates, times and locations for three public information meetings at which it seeks public input on recreational target shooting management alternatives for the Sonoran Desert National Monument.
Based on public comments and suggestions received during the scoping process in 2016, the BLM has developed and analyzed a range of alternatives included in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) and Draft Resource Management Plan Amendment (DRMPA) released on Dec. 16, 2016.
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 first public meeting will be held Jan. 19, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the BLM National Training Center located at 9828 N 31st Ave., in Phoenix.
The second public meeting will be held Jan. 20, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Arizona Game and Fish Department located at 5000 W Carefree Hwy, in Phoenix.
The third and final public meeting will be held Jan. 21, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the City of Casa Grande Dorthy Powell Senior Center located at 405 E 6th St., 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 last 30 minutes will be dedicated to a presentation on the project monitoring and mitigation procedure. The time in between BLM presentations will be conducted in open house format.
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, 2017. 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 RMP Amendment 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 BLM_AZ_SDNMtargetshooting@BLM.
SDNM RMP Planning Website: http://bit.ly/
All comments will be made available to the public.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.