Does BLM Mean What It Says?

In response to a recent article http://www.usnews.com/news/blo...ers-off-public-lands on the website of U.S. News and World Report, in which sportsmen's groups voiced opposition to a draft recreational shooting policy that could severely restrict or eliminate recreational shooting on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands, BLM has issued a statement that - on the surface-sounds very positive. The BLM statement to U.S. News reads in part:

"The Department of Interior [which oversees BLM] fully supports and encourages hunting, fishing and recreational shooting on America's public lands...The BLM wants to protect opportunities for recreational shooting on public lands and reduce the possibility for conflicts that in the past have resulted in some recreational shooting closures."

In addition, an unidentified BLM spokesperson told US News, "Our goal is to leave lands open to shooting." (You can read the full article here: http://www.usnews.com/news/blo...ers-off-public-lands)