Courtesy U.S. Bureau of Land Management

The Bureau of Land Management has extended the public comment period and scheduled a public hearing next week on the proposed West Mountain shooting range after requests from the public for more time to review and comment.

The comment period, which was supposed to end June 20, has been extended to July 19. A public hearing is scheduled for July 11 where representatives from the Civilian Marksmanship Program, which would maintain the range, and Payson City will be attending.

The proposed range would be about 528 acres and sit on BLM-owned land on West Mountain. The south end would be adjacent to 10400 South and west of Lateral Canal Road and the project would border some residential homes along 6300 West and a handful of farms.

According to a draft plan published on the BLM website, it would include an outdoor and indoor firing range, an archery range, a clubhouse for meetings and classes, a store and a restaurant.

The range would be maintained by the Civilian Marksmanship Program, which is a federally created nonprofit focused on training and educating citizens on responsible gun use.

Courtesy U.S. Bureau of Land Management

Ashley Snipes, a BLM public affairs specialist, noted that the area is already used for dispersed shooting and the proposed facility will add more safety measures.

“If approved, conveyance of approximately 528 acres to CMP supports local access to recreation and adds a layer of public safety with more structure for the activity,” she said in an email.

The proposal has garnered mixed opinions on social media, with some expressing concerns about the size and proximity to residential homes and others expressing excitement about the potential recreational space.

One petition has been started on Change.org against the project, which had just over 1,000 signatures as of Tuesday.

With the answers the bureau already has received, Snipes said they have assembled some alternative locations for the program to consider.

Currently, the BLM is in the process of an environmental assessment of the proposal. After the comment period closes, Snipes said the agency will review all the comments received and incorporate the feedback into the project’s assessment.

Once the assessment is completed, the draft will be available to the public, and another public comment period will open, Snipes said.

The public hearing regarding the project will be held from 46 p.m. July 11 in the banquet hall of the Payson Municipal Building. Residents can still make public comments online until July 19 at eplanning.blm.gov.