Colorado BLM seeks input on environmental assessment for San Luis Valley
San Luis Valley, Southern Colorado, U.S. (source: flickr/ Jesse Varner, creative commons)
Alexander Richter
13 Mar 2012
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is seeking public input on preliminary environmental assessment for geothermal energy leasing in the San Luis Valley, Colorado.
The Bureau of Land Management’s San Luis Valley Field Office is seeking public input on a preliminary environmental assessment for geothermal energy leasing in the San Luis Valley.
The San Luis Valley is an extensive alpine valley in the U.S. states of Colorado and New Mexico covering approximately 8,000 square miles (21,000 km2) and sitting at an average elevation of 7,500 feet (2,300 m) above sea level. (source: Wikipedia)
The EA identifies public lands with the potential for geothermal development and provides a list of the stipulations to be applied to any future leases. When completed, the EA will amend the 1991 BLM San Luis Valley Resource Area Management Plan, tiering it to BLM’s 2008 Geothermal Leasing Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement.
To date, the BLM has not received any lease nominations for the San Luis Valley.
The SLFVO is hosting two open house meetings to hear from the public and share information:
• Tuesday, March 20, from 4 – 7 p.m. at the Saguache County Road and Bridge Building, 305 Third Street, Saguache.
• Wednesday, March 21, from 4 – 7 p.m. at Adams State College (McDaniel Hall Room 101), First Street and Richardson Ave., Alamosa.
The public is invited to comment at the open house or in writing.
Comments must be received by April 10, 2012, and may be mailed to: Bureau of Land Management (Attn. Joe Vieira), 1803 West Hwy 160, Monte Vista, CO 81144 or e-mailed to BLM_CO_SLVPLC_Comments@blm.gov Be aware that your entire comment – including your personal identifying information – may be made publicly available. BLM cannot guarantee that we will be able to withhold any personal information.
In 2008, the BLM completed the Geothermal Leasing PEIS, which amended 114 RMP’s across the western United States. The PEIS updated BLM’s energy leasing procedures to make lands available for geothermal energy leasing while protecting the land for future generations. Although the San Luis Resource Area was analyzed, the BLM did not include the area in its 2008 decision, so in 2010 BLM began a local analysis to understand the issues and concerns related to geothermal energy leasing in the Valley.
For more information log on to: www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/slvfo/Geothermal_Leasing.html or call Joe Vieira, BLM Project Manager at 719-852-6213.
Source: BLM
