Proposed 528-acre shooting range near Payson sparks support and opposition

PAYSON, Utah — A proposed 528-acre outdoor shooting range in the mountains near Payson came as a shock to some because the community is divided over what it wants to use the land for.

Glenn Parks dreams of settling down in the area when he visits and listens to the peace and quiet of West Mountain, but the sounds of his happy place could be replaced by gunshots.

The Civilian Marksmanship Program, a national organization, filed an application to turn the land into a shooting range.

“From everything I've seen from their facilities across the United States, they're just running a very tight schedule,” Payson resident Mike Nelson said.

If the facility is approved, there would be an outdoor shooting range, an archery range and an indoor air rifle range, as well as a clubhouse and classrooms.

“I’m just excited,” Nelson added. “I really, really hope they can put it together without offending residents and without hurting people’s feelings.”

Residents have expressed concerns about the environmental impact and fire risks associated with the cooker. Just a few weeks ago, a gun at a Stansbury Island shooting range sparked a 40-acre fire.

Residents might also not be happy with the noise.

In a statement to FOX 13 News, the Civilian Marksmanship Program said firing lines would be located as far away from residential areas as possible and they would build berms and plant trees to dampen noise.

The group's business manager claimed there was lead in the land from uncontrolled shooting, which they planned to clean up, while monitoring the metal through berms and mitigating it every 7 to 10 years.

“It's open. There's a large safety net so that the cartridges are placed safely where they need to be,” Nelson said.

“I’d like to keep it the way it is,” Parks replied.

The Bureau of Land Management's cooling-off period was supposed to end this week, but they say because of the response the agency received, they plan to extend their deadline and schedule a public meeting at a date yet to be determined . time and place.