BLM Proposes Developing 4 Sites For Recreational Shooting In Phoenix Area
The Bureau of Land Management is proposing four sites for recreational shooting in the Phoenix metro area.
The sites would be on federal public lands: two north of the Carefree Highway/Route 74, roughly in between Phoenix and Peoria; one west of Buckeye south of Interstate 10; and one south of South Mountain.
The BLM said it is near the beginning of the development process for these sites. Depending on public input, the bureau may install firing lines, backstops, side berms, concrete pads or restrooms.
BLM spokesman Rem Hawes said the agency is “trying to find something that’s more than just standing next to a hillside, but something less than a fully-developed recreational shooting facility like Ben Avery.”
The Ben Avery Shooting Facility in north Phoenix is operated by the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
Recreational shooting is already allowed on about 97 percent of federal land in Arizona. That stays the same, according to Hawes.
“What we would like to do is identify those areas where recreational shooting can happen and there’d be no resource conflicts or conflicts with other public land users,” he said. The BLM would then encourage shooters to use the new areas.
The public comment period ends July 2. There will also be public meetings on June 11 and 13. More information on how to comment can be found here.
