U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT NEWS RELEASE
Las Vegas Field Office
Las Vegas Field Office
| Contacts: | Hillerie C. Patton | , 702-515-5046 | , hillerie_c_patton@blm.gov |
BLM Seeks Comments on Valley Electric Association's Hidden Hills Transmission Project
Las Vegas –The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Las Vegas Field Office is opening scoping on a Valley Electric Association transmission project proposed on public lands in the southern Pahrump and Sandy valleys in Clark and Nye counties, Nev. A Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement, published in the October 11, Federal Register. Publication of the notice initiates the beginning of a 60-day scoping period which will close December 12.
The public is being asked to help identify potential issues regarding the applicant’s request for a right-of-way (ROW) authorization for the construction, operation, maintenance, and termination of transmission infrastructure improvements, both 230 kilovolt (kV) and 500 kV, and a natural gas pipeline to support the development of the Hidden Hills Solar Electric Generating Project. The 3,275-acre solar-project site would be located on privately-owned land; however, the transmission and natural gas lines, once they leave the site, would be located on public land managed by the BLM.
Scoping meetings will be announced at least 15 days in advance through local media and on the BLM website at www.blm.gov/nv.
Written comments may be mailed to the BLM, Southern Nevada District, Renewable Energy Project Manager, 4701 N. Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89130, or emailed to ValleyElec_HiddenHillsEIS@blm.gov. For more information, please call Greg Helseth at 702-515-5173.
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.
Las Vegas Field Office 4701 N. Torrey Pines Drive Las Vegas, NV 89130