BLM Plans Public Meeting on Proposed Wind Energy Right of Way Application

The Bureau of Land Management Bishop Field Office will provide information and listen to comments on two proposed wind energy right of way applications in a public meeting Monday, June 6, at 6 p.m. at the Benton Community Center near the junction of highways 6 and 120 in Benton.

BLM staff will discuss the proposals to install 200-foot tall wind monitoring towers for three-year testing periods.  Instruments on these towers would collect wind speed and direction data and other weather information.

The wind testing projects are proposed by Ewind Farm and Padoma within the Black Lake and Adobe Valley areas west of Benton.  The companies have not submitted plans to develop wind energy projects.

The BLM will analyze the proposals in separate environmental assessments (EA) that will consider the proposed towers and no-action alternatives.
 Natural resource issues in the Ewind proposal include sage grouse habitat and potential visual impacts to the Granite Mountain Wilderness Area, the Mono Lake Scenic Area and a private landowner.  Resource concerns for the Padoma proposal involve a golden eagle nesting site and territory.
Written comments on issues to be addressed in the EAs for these proposals can be submitted to the BLM Bishop Field Office Manager, 351 Pacu Lane, Suite 100, Bishop, CA  93514, or sent by email to Lawrence_Primosch@blm.gov.  Comments are due by June 20, 2011.

For more information, contact Larry Primosch at the Bishop Field Office, (760) 872-5031.

Central California District   2800 Cottage Way      Sacramento, CA 95825