A lawsuit over the environmental impacts of target shooting on public land has prompted the federal government to shut down a portion of the Sonoran Desert National Monument. The closure takes effect this week and will last for about two years.
The area deemed off limits will encompass 10,000 acres on the north side of the national monument. That will give the Bureau of Land Management time to analyze how target shooting could be affecting the habitat, wildlife and the safety of hikers.
Adam Eggers with the BLM said this study could have broader implications for recreational shooting on public land.
“The process that we’re going through, the partnerships that we’re building, it’s not just something that’s only for the Sonoran Desert National Monument," Eggers said. "It’s something that can be possibly applied to other locations in Arizona and other states, as well.”
Eggers said that is why they are trying to bring as many stakeholders to the table as possible. Eventually, the agency will develop a new management plan that takes into account the findings.
