A Blaine County lawmaker has introduced a bill to regulate the use of exploding targets on state land after a fire caused by an exploding target last summer burned more than 64,000 acres near Bellevue.
The proposed bill from Sen. Michelle Stennett, D-Ketchum, would make state code consistent with federal land laws by prohibiting exploding targets on state-owned public lands during the designated fire season, which stretches from May to November.
The Senate State Affairs Committee voted Wednesday morning to hold a formal hearing for the bill at a later date.
“This has been a discussion for quite a few years because of the escalation of use of exploding targets ... and it is causing catastrophic wildfires,” Stennett said.