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BLM Solar Impact Statement
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BLM Solar Impact Statement
By Dave Maxwell
County Commissioners had discussions at their regular meeting November 2 about what the Bureau of Land Management is going to do regarding final recommendations for the Solar Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) in Nevada and Lincoln County. A PEIS is a method to evaluate utility-scale solar energy development, to develop and implement Agency-programs that would establish environmental policies and mitigation strategies for solar energy project, and to amend relevant BLM land use plans with the consideration of establishing a new BLM solar energy development program.
BLM Washington keeps changing the maps, at least for the Lincoln County portion. Earlier this year BLM identified seven areas in Nevada as Solar Study Areas, some not in Lincoln County, which included Armargosa Valley (32,699 acres), Dry Lake (16,516 acres), Delamar Valley (17,932 acres), Dry Lake Valley North (49,775 acres), East Mormon Mountains (7,418 acres), Gold Point (5,830 acres) and Miller's (19,205 acres).
For Lincoln County in particular, that was far more acreage than Commissioners felt was necessary. BLM closed the public comment period September 14.
In September, Commissioners voted unanimously to send a letter to Argonne National Laboratory in Argonne, Illinois, who is doing the PEIS for the BLM. Commissioners stated they felt the only areas that needed to be studied were ones that had already been approved by Lincoln County. Those include 5,760 acres in Dry Lake Valley North and 5,760 acres in south Delamar Valley. In addition, the East Mormon Mountain area should be reduced from 7,148 acres to 3,780 acres to avoid key grazing areas with the Gourd Spring Allotment. Chairman Paul Mathews said, "These are the best areas the County feels will have the least amount of impact on local ranchers, and the BLM should leave off everywhere else."
During this latest discussion, Commissioner Ronda Hornbeck again expressed a sense of frustration because the BLM has again changed its maps from what was given even in September. "This thing has changed so many times," she said. She added, that in a recent meeting with BLM Nevada State Director Ron Wenker in Reno, she was told, "The possibility is out there that the BLM will still go forward with the original maps." That means the BLM is ignoring what is being asked by County government regarding the areas on which to do the Programmatic Environmental Studies. Connie Simkins placed a new map on the wall, and gave smaller copies to each Commissioner, and said it was her understanding, "there was some movement even on these maps."
"However," Hornbeck said, "no matter what we do there are going to be concerns. There's going to be problems, there's going to be reason why we shouldn't do this. It's a double-edged sword. On one end, we want our county to grow and prosper and have something out there. On the other end it's, "But don't hurt us."
Hornbeck said, "If the PEIS does happen, people still have an opportunity to complain about it and people need to understand the importance of actually writing back in and making comments on this EIS. It gives everybody the opportunity to do it and give an answer no matter what section we go in on."
Commissioners also expressed concern that BLM would allow too much land to be studied for possible solar energy use in Delamar Valley South in the area of Jumbo Lake where there is a lot of white sage. Ed Higbee, in a later telephone interview, said there likely will be some land lost, but large areas will still be available to ranchers for grazing. "We're trying very hard to keep them out of that white sage. That stuff is great cattle feed. It's great for wildlife, antelope, and domestic animals. It's good feed for the winter. If we can keep them off those areas, it will be a great help. I think there's room for these things out there, if they will just work things out right with the cow men, and wildlife. I think it can be done."
White sage (Salvia apina) is a perennial shrub for cattle, but if it were to be uprooted in order to make room for infrastructure to support solar energy generation, most cattlemen feel the white sage would not grow back.
Commissioners said they would be willing to support solar energy development in other areas, but did not want to put developments in places where the best white sage grazing is. "They don't have to put it where the white sage is." says Higbee, "If they will just work with the cattlemen and local authorities. We can find places where it is not so destructive to the ecosystem."
Commission Chairman Paul Mathews and Commissioner Ronda Hornbeck led a group of people including BLM officials, representatives from Congressman Heller and Senator Reid's offices, Connie Simkins with the N4 Grazing Board, and Mike Scott from the Nevada Department of Wildlife on a tour November 9 to look at the sites where the study areas for solar generation facilities are being considered. Mrs. Hornbeck said the group toured Alamo Canyon to Jumbo Lake, and up near Delamar into the Ely Springs allotment. "We showed them the area so they could understand a little bit more about it, and viewed the white sage that is in the area, trying to protect some of the area for the ranchers and have less impact," she said. Mike Scott was able to explain about how the proposed solar areas might also effect the deer and antelope populations and migration patterns.
Hornbeck said she did not get the feeling after seeing the areas; it had much effect on the thinking of the congressional representatives. In addition, she said. "No matter how the final maps are drawn, once that process is started, everybody will have the opportunity to come in and make a comment on it. And shame on us if we don't go back out to our public and say 'You've got 30 days to comment or however long they give us.'
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