BLM Announces Public Meetings on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for SunZia Southwest Transmission Project
| Contacts: | Adrian Garcia | , 505.954.2199 |
BLM Announces Public Meetings on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for SunZia Southwest Transmission Project (06/07/12)
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is soliciting public input on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Resource Management Plan Amendments (Draft EIS) for the SunZia Southwest Transmission Project during the 90-day public comment period, which ends August 22, 2012.
The BLM is holding public meetings in 10 locations in Arizona and New Mexico to provide information and receive public input on the Draft EIS. The BLM has identified a preferred alternative based on preliminary review. “The upcoming public meetings will give the public an opportunity to interact with BLM resource specialists and provide input on the agency’s alternatives, including the preferred alternative,” said Bill Merhege, BLM’s Deputy State Director for Lands and Resources.
The meetings will be in an open house format from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm, and will include a brief presentation at 6:00 pm. The meetings will be held in the following locations:
New Mexico Communities Date Meeting Locations
Corona June 26, 2012 Corona High School
250 Franklin Street
Socorro June 27, 2012 New Mexico Institute of
Mining and Technology
Fidal Center Ballroom
801 Leroy Place
Truth or Consequences June 28, 2012 Sierra County Events Center
2953 South Broadway Street
Deming July 9, 2012 Mimbres Valley Special Events Center, 2300 East Pine Street
Lordsburg July 10, 2012 Dugan-Tarango Middle School 1352 Hardin Street
Arizona Communities Date Meeting Locations
Safford July 11, 2012 Safford High School
1400 W. Bulldog Boulevard
(14th Avenue and 10th Street)
Benson July 12, 2012 Benson School
360 S. Patagonia Street
Tucson July 17, 2012 Palo Verde Magnet School
1302 S. Avenida Vega
San Manuel July18, 2012 San Manuel High School
711 South McNab Parkway
Eloy July 19, 2012 Eloy Junior High School
404 East Phoenix Avenue
The Draft EIS, and other project information is available at the BLM project website at www.blm.gov/nm/sunzia or by contacting BLM Project Lead Adrian Garcia at (505) 954-2199.
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.