U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT NEWS RELEASE
| Contacts: | Heather Feeney, (208) 373-4014 |
BLM Seeks Comments on Amending Land Use Plan Covering China Mountain
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) today opened the scoping period for a possible amendment of the Resource Management Plan (RMP) for the Jarbidge Field Office (JFO). Amending the plan would allow the BLM to move forward with consideration of the proposal to develop wind energy resources on China Mountain, in the southern portion of the Jarbidge.
Publication of a Notice of Intent in today’s Federal Register opens a 30-day scoping period during which the BLM will identify issues associated with the proposed project and the possible plan amendment. Scoping comments may be submitted in the following ways:
· E-mail id_chinamtn_eis@blm.gov
· Fax (208) 735–2076
· Mail to Project Manager, China Mountain EIS, Jarbidge Field Office, 2536 Kimberly Road, Twin Falls, Idaho 83301
Comments can also be hand-delivered to the Jarbidge Field Office at the address above. Any public scoping meetings will be announced through local media, newsletters, and the JFO website: http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/fo/jarbidge.html at least 15 days prior to the first meeting. For additional information about the proposed project and the planning process, contact the BLM Project Manager, Jarbidge Field Office, 2536 Kimberly Road, Twin Falls, Idaho 83301, telephone (208) 235-2072.
Revision of the Jarbidge RMP, which dates from 1987, has also been underway since 2006. When the proponents for the China Mountain project first submitted their application, the schedule for the RMP revision estimated that revision of the RMP would be complete before project-specific NEPA analysis of the China Mountain proposal would be completed. Unforeseen delays in the RMP revision process have now extended the timeline for the revision, delaying the guidance needed to move forward with processing the China Mountain application.
Revision of the 1987 Jarbidge RMP will continue on its current timeline, and the analysis completed for the plan amendment would also be used for the portion of the RMP revision that addresses wind energy. In this way, the decisions on the Plan amendment and the RMP revision will be consistent. If the RMP revision is completed first, the Plan amendment will not be necessary.
After gathering scoping comments, the BLM will identify those issues that will be addressed in the environmental impact statement (EIS) for the proposed project and the possible RMP amendment. A Draft EIS is scheduled for completion in early 2010 and will be published for public review and comment. The Final EIS is expected to be published in late 2010.
The BLM manages more land - over 245 million acres - than any other Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.