Payson aims to lead effort to build shooting range, OHV trail system on West Mountain
Shauna Phelps, of West Mountain, looks for petroglyphs during a community tour of the northeastern area of West Mountain on Tuesday, June 16, 2020. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
Used ammunition litters an area used for shooting firearms in the northeastern area of West Mountain on Tuesday, June 16, 2020. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
Steven Acerson, a representative from the Utah Rock Art Research Association, leads community members during a tour of the northeastern area of West Mountain on Tuesday, June 16, 2020. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
A sign concerning rock art is posted at an area used for shooting firearms in the northeastern area of West Mountain on Tuesday, June 16, 2020. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
The city of Payson is taking the lead on an effort to build a designated shooting range and off-highway vehicle trail system on West Mountain to provide safer recreation options for south Utah County residents.
Originally, Utah County officials were the primary applicants on a request to the Bureau of Land Management, or BLM, to “utilize property for a designated shooting range and some OHV trails on West Mountain,” according to Jill Spencer, Payson’s city planner.
“At that time, when we submitted the application, the lead was going to be Utah County,” Spencer told the Payson City Council and Mayor Bill Wright during a July 1 public meeting. “Commissioner (Bill) Lee recently reached out to the mayor and I, and they have requested that Payson City be the lead, that they just be a partner in this project. But they do not want to be the lead.”
The proposed shooting range and OHV trail system, which would include a motocross track and a mountain bike trail, would cover about 1,020 acres on West Mountain, an already popular location for off-roaders and target shooters.
“This application hopes to help facilitate these activities and provide a safer environment for users already utilizing this area,” a written project summary said. “With a growing population, Utah County is seeing more and more utilization of public lands surrounding the population centers, and this site could provide a safe environment for individuals to go shooting or ride their OHVs legally.”
The project summary notes that West Mountain is already for shooting and OHV recreation “without any official facilities, leading to a higher risk of potential fires and a severe lack of safety measures.”
“Every year, there are fires started on West Mountain that are started by firearm discharges,” the document said. “Having a shooting range on the area would allow for the activity to continue, but in a far more controlled and safe area.
“The separation and organization of uses will reduce dangerous conflicts of users, will provide regular maintenance of the area cleaning up both human made waste and flammable vegetation, as well as providing safe resources for individuals to utilize,” the document continued. “This would encourage more individuals to come to the area to shoot, by providing a safe practicing area, potentially hosting events, and giving educational opportunities to shooters.”
The document’s “statement of need” goes on to say that, as it stands, “off-roading vehicles lack proper trails to use, and so individuals have been making their own trails, resulting in high-risk paths that have resulted in at least one individual with severely diminished mental capacity from a severe injury due to a roll-over incident.”
The Payson City Council voted unanimously on July 1 to approve a resolution to revise the BLM application to have “Payson City be the lead applicant on an application to the United States of America through the Bureau of Land Management and other agencies to further the projects related to West Mountain.”
“I’m excited for this project,” Councilman Brett Christensen said, adding that he believed there still needed to be more discussion and community input on the proposed development.
Spencer said the proposal was “very preliminary” and that there would be public hearings held down the road.
“I know there’s probably people in the community that may have reached out to you and they may have questions on this project,” the planning director said. “Just please let them know that there will be opportunities for them to share their concerns or to express their support for the project, and we will make sure that we get information out to them.”
Environmental advocates have warned that unregulated target shooting on West Mountain threatens Native American petroglyphs in the area that have gone untouched for centuries.
