By Doug Ramsey, Public News Service - AZ

Recreational target shooting would be prohibited on the Sonoran Desert National Monument, southwest of Phoenix, under the preferred alternative of a draft 20-year management plan drawn up by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.

The proposal has generated some controversy. On one side of the issue, The Wilderness Society has given the plan an award, partly because of the proposed shooting ban.

Thom Hulen, president of the group Friends of the Sonoran Desert National Monument, says shooters have hauled tons of junk into the monument to use for target practice.

"There are irresponsible shooters who bring trash out to shoot. And they would shoot at computer monitors and washing machines, occasionally old, beat-up cars, propane tanks and jars and stuff, full of gasoline."

Although hunting would still be permitted, the National Rifle Association calls the proposed recreational shooting ban an "overreaction" and suggests that only parts of the monument be closed. The NRA is backing legislation by Arizona's U.S. Representative Jeff Flake to require congressional approval for any national monument shooting ban of more than six months.

The Wilderness Society's award also praises less-controversial aspects of the BLM plan. Since the Sonoran Desert monument straddles Interstate 8, the draft plan envisions "wildlife movement corridors." Thom Hulen says land bridges would work better than tunnels for crossing highways and railroads.

"Animals like bighorn sheep and deer, they're very reluctant to go through tunnels. Sheep will never go through tunnels. And we're also hoping to reintroduce Sonoran Pronghorn into the area, and they won't use tunnels either."

Hulen also likes the way the draft management plan classifies areas for their renewable energy development potential.

"They've looked at available BLM land where there's already transmission towers that are already in place, natural gas lines, that sort of thing; it would be useful to put new ones in those areas that are already disturbed."

The Wilderness Society award is known as a CAPE, or Comparative Analysis of Particular Excellence. It is given to only a few BLM projects across the country.