The Utah Department of Natural Resources instituted new target shooting restrictions Tuesday in Utah County in order to help prevent wildfires.
The order — which bans certain types of ammunition — applies to all unincorporated private and all state lands directly west of Utah Lake, including Lake Mountain, and on West Mountain above elevations of 4,500 feet. The one exception within that area is Soldier Pass Public Shooting Range.
Steel core, jacketed or tipped ammunition of any caliber are prohibited, as are tracer or incendiary ammunition of any caliber. Possession or use of any kind of explosives, incendiary or chemical devices, or exploding targets are also banned.
The order will be in place until July 7, at which time it will be reviewed.
Also Thursday, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area announced it would implement enhanced fire restrictions that would be in place until further notice.
Wood-burning and charcoal-fire use, as well as smoking, are all prohibited except in designated areas. The use of fireworks, as always, is prohibited on federal public lands.
The new restrictions are in place due to prolonged hot and dry conditions in the area. Just a month ago, when Utah’s fire season was in its infancy, there were already 237 wildfires that had blackened roughly 3,000 acres. At the time, Utah had experienced a dry, warm spring, which has carried into the early days of summer.
A full list of active statewide fire restrictions can be found here.
