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Utah County Commission backs BLM ‘Option B’ in draft comment letter, urges continued collaboration
Summary
The Utah County Commission voted to draft and submit a comment letter to the Bureau of Land Management supporting ‘Option B’ in the Eastern Lake Mountains target-shooting plan amendment, stressing safety concerns and asking BLM to continue working with local agencies on longer-term solutions.
The Utah County Commission on Thursday agreed to draft a joint comment to the Bureau of Land Management endorsing the agency’s Option B in the Eastern Lake Mountains target-shooting plan amendment while urging continued collaboration to reduce safety risks.
Commissioners said they wanted the county to remain a cooperative agency in the federal planning process, and they directed staff to soften some of the draft language before submitting the comment on the final day of public input. "We're cooperative agency partners on this," Commissioner Lee said while introducing the draft and urging a collaborative tone.
Law enforcement emphasized public-safety concerns in parts of the commission’s discussion. "The safety and enforcement side, we actually support the closure of the land ... This is a public safety issue in that area," a law-enforcement official who stood to speak for the sheriff’s office said, citing incidents that included reports of children near shooting activity. The draft also includes an estimate attributed to Utah County Sheriff Jim Tracy that "between 500 and 700 people participate in target shooting in the area on the weekends," language commissioners left in the draft as contextual detail.
Commissioners debated three options the BLM presented: lifting restrictions, maintaining the current closures (Option B), or adopting a larger closure. Several members expressed concern that a broader closure could concentrate shooters in other nearby areas and magnify risks, while others said limited closures already had demonstrable benefits. "If the proposed shooting range isn't going to satisfy the need, we encourage them to continue to work toward solutions," one commissioner said.
The commission voted to approve a motion to submit a softened comment in support of Option B and to work on specific language during the meeting. The motion passed 3-0.
Next steps: staff will revise the draft letter consistent with the commission’s direction, incorporate law-enforcement input and submit the comment to BLM before the public-comment deadline. The commission also asked the sheriff's office to file an official comment reflecting local enforcement concerns.
