Boise District BLM
| Contacts: | MJ Byrne (208) 384-3393 | |||
| Cell: (208) 871-1992 |
BLM Seeks Public Comment on Geothermal Lease Nominations
BOISE, ID – The public is being asked to provide comments to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Four Rivers Field Office about seven parcels of public lands in Washington, Payette, and Canyon counties recently nominated for geothermal leases. The parcels are first being evaluated by BLM under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Comments submitted will help the Bureau determine whether special stipulations to the leases will be needed, should the BLM decide to offer the parcels for lease. The deadline for submittal of comments is November 24, 2010.
The nominated parcels are located in two geographic areas. Two nominated parcels are approximately eight miles west of Weiser in Washington County. Five other nominated parcels are northeast of Parma in Payette and Canyon counties. Almost 1,100 acres are under consideration in Washington County, just less than 25,000 acres in Payette County, and approximately 400 acres in Canyon County.
These nominations are for leasing only. No ground disturbing activities are proposed at this time. Prior to any ground disturbing activities, a leaseholder must submit a separate application for drilling and a plan of operations for development for BLM’s review, analysis and approval. At that time, the BLM will conduct additional site-specific analysis and may require additional reasonable mitigation measures before approving drilling or development. Holders of geothermal leases are required to comply with all applicable Federal, state and local laws and regulations, including obtaining all necessary permits, before any development activities can begin.
Geothermal leases are typically for 10 years and may be extended in 5-year increments, if regulatory requirements for diligent development are met. A lease for geothermal resources gives a lessee the right to drill and produce, subject to the lease terms, any special stipulations, and other reasonable conditions developed during the review process. The BLM has developed special lease stipulations regarding endangered species and cultural resources that are included in any lease issued; however, area specific stipulations can be added if warranted by public or government agency input.
To view the maps, applications and NEPA documents for these projects on the BLM’s website, go to https://www.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/nepa/nepa_register.do: 1) highlight “Idaho” in the State(s) box on the left, 2) then “ID-Four Rivers FO” in the Office(s) box, 3) “DNA” in the Document Type(s) box, 4) “2011” in the Fiscal Year(s) box, 5) and “All” in the Program(s) box. Next, click on “Search” to the right. The two different projects should be listed with a link to each on the next screen that pops up.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. 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.