Pahrump Field Office
| Contacts: | Hillerie C. Patton | , 702-515-5046 |
BLM Opens Scoping for Pacific Solar Energy Project near Big Dune
Las Vegas – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) published a Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for a solar energy project near Big Dune in the Amargosa Valley south of Beatty, Nev. The notice, published in the Federal Register on December 14, 2009, opens a 60-day public comment period that will end on February 12, 2010.
Scoping meetings will be held in Amargosa Valley, Beatty, Pahrump and Las Vegas. Meeting times and dates will be announced at least 15 days in advance through local media and on the BLM website at www.blm.gov/nv.
The public is being asked to comment on Pacific Solar Investments, Inc.’s proposal to construct, operate, and maintain a photovoltaic power generation project on 7,500 acres of public land. Preliminary identification of issues includes impacts to off-highway vehicle use and desert tortoise habitat. Water use at the project will be limited to human consumption, dust suppression, and solar panel cleaning.
Written comments may be mailed to the BLM, Southern Nevada District, Renewable Energy Projects Manager, 4701 N. Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89130, or emailed to NorthSolar_Proj@blm.gov. For more information, please call Greg Helseth at 702-515-5173.
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.
Pahrump Field Office 4701 N. Torrey Pines Drive Las Vegas, NV 89130