Informational Webinars Announced for Draft Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan
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The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), California Energy Commission (CEC) and California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) will host two informational webinars on the draft Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) and Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) on December 15 and 17, 2014.The webinars will clarify where to find information within the DRECP document and clarify what the proposed draft DRECP would and would not do. The December 15 webinar will cover renewable energy topics and will run from 10am to noon. The December 17 webinar will cover the plan's biological conservation strategy and conservation on BLM-managed lands and will run from 1pm to 4:30pm. The webinars may be viewed online or at BLM field offices in the DRECP plan area. More information on viewing the webinars may be found at www.drecp.org.The agencies have hosted 11 public meetings throughout the DRECP plan area and surrounding population centers. While formal public comments will not be taken at the informational webinars, the agencies are taking public comments until February 23, 2015. Information on how to comment on the draft DRECP may be found at www.drecp.org.The draft DRECP is an innovative renewable energy and conservation plan covering more than 22 million acres of land in Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties. The draft is the result of collaboration among the BLM, FWS, CEC, CDFW and other stakeholders.The draft proposes to protect areas in the California desert that are important for wildlife, recreation, cultural and other uses while also facilitating the timely permitting of solar, wind and geothermal energy projects and associated transmission in appropriate areas. The draft plan presents six alternative approaches for meeting renewable energy and conservation goals through 2040. Each alternative proposes a different conservation design and configuration of lands available for more efficient and predictable renewable energy project review. The draft plan also includes an analysis of the potential environmental impacts of these alternatives.A recorded informational webinar to help the public navigate the DRECP documents is available at www.drecp.org. The website also contains instructions for providing written comments on the draft document.The draft DRECP EIR/EIS is available for review and download at www.drecp.org, at local libraries and agency offices, and on DVD. To request a DVD, please send an email request to drecp.info@energy.ca.gov or call (866) 674-9996 and provide a mailing address. For a list of local area libraries and agency offices that have the document on file (most are on DVD), please visit www.drecp.org/draftdrecp.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.