Parks and Recreation flags shooting-range safety as use grows; tourism office wins $95,000 matching grant

Parks and Recreation and tourism staff told commissioners Sept. 8 that recreational use and events are increasing and that staff are taking steps to manage growth while protecting public safety.

Parks staff said the county shooting range is now heavily used, and a local resident raised concerns about unsupervised use and the height of berms. Staff described proposed mitigation options including a volunteer Range Safety Officer (RSO) calendar, improved vetting of volunteers, and a planned site visit to review a supervised range operation in Saint George. Commissioners asked whether volunteer staffing could be reliable and noted liability and vetting concerns; staff said they will consult the county attorney before implementing a volunteer RSO program and will return with a fee proposal tied to the range’s split into two bays.

Tourism staff reported that transient room tax (TRT) is slightly below 2024‑to‑date but that restaurant tax receipts have risen nearly 11%, in part due to clarified rules on prepared foods. The county was awarded a $95,000 matching marketing grant from the Utah Office of Tourism and is participating in a seven‑month destination development pilot to help local businesses create monetized experiences. Staff also described OHV‑parking completion at 3 Peaks and forest-service cooperation to remove invasive Russian olive trees at 5 Mile, and said they are pursuing a possible well at 5 Mile for firefighting and irrigation support.

Staff said some fee adjustments for the range will be brought to the commission in a future meeting once the BLM boundary expansion and bay-splitting logistics are finalized.

No formal action was taken during the report; staff requested the commission consider a site visit and follow-up on range‑management proposals.