Daggett County approves Flaming Gorge Shooting Complex standard operating procedures

Daggett County commissioners on March 18 approved a set of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the Flaming Gorge Shooting Complex, formalizing requirements for range safety officers, incident reporting and public scheduling.

The policy, presented by Gary (range committee representative), incorporates edits from committee members and from Johnny Miller, who recommended removing personal information from incident report forms and adding a chapter referencing the applicable state statute for shooting activities. Gary said the county attorney’s liability waiver, which users sign, was reviewed and accepted by Miller.

The SOP requires range safety officers to complete a county volunteer form so they are covered under county liability insurance, and adds several newly graduated safety officers to the roster. The commission discussed how the trap facility and trap-throwing equipment will be scheduled: groups may bring their own equipment, or schedule use of county equipment with a range safety officer who must check out keys and accompany the group and operate the equipment for events. Gary said the intention is to keep the range public while protecting equipment and limiting unsupervised access.

Commissioners discussed future operational models including scheduled hours, special-event scheduling with fees, a key-checkout system (with a small per-25-round charge proposed to help cover operating costs), and the possibility that increased interest could eventually fund on-call staffing. Gary also noted the range committee has applied for a grant (transcript reference: $176,000 application) to support the facility; the grant outcome was not yet decided.

Motion and vote: A motion to approve the Flaming Gorge Shooting Complex, Daggett County standard operating procedures was made, seconded and approved; the motion language was recorded in the meeting and commissioners voted “Aye.” The final signed SOP will be retained by the county clerk.

Commissioners and staff also discussed next steps: publishing a contact list and scheduling information on the county website, maintaining the list of safety officers (which can be updated administratively), clarifying whether hunter-safety events are covered under state liability when the state sponsors training, and coordinating with the county attorney on final liability language. No changes to hours or fee structures were adopted at the meeting; those details were described as implementation matters for staff and the committee.

The commission approved the SOP in open session and directed staff to finalize the document for distribution to committee members and for placement on the county website.