BLM to host scoping meetings on Yellow Pine Solar Project
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LAS VEGAS - The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Las Vegas Field Office will host two public scoping meetings to seek input on the Yellow Pine Solar Project which includes 9,290 acres in Clark County at the intersection of Nevada State Route 160 and Tecopa Road, approximately 10 miles southeast of Pahrump, Nevada and approximately 32 miles west of Las Vegas. The associated Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will identify needs for construction, operation, maintenance and eventual decommissioning of a 250-megawatt solar generation facility.
Public scoping meetings will be held:
- Wednesday, June 27 – Pahrump Nugget, Nugget Event Center, 681 S. Highway 160, Pahrump, NV 89048
- Thursday, June 28 – Suncoast Hotel & Casino, Madrid A Room, 9090 Alta Drive, LasVegas, NV 89145
All meetings will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. and will follow the same format. Presentation will be given at 5:15 p.m. followed by an open house meeting where BLM staffers and project proponents will be available to answer questions until 6:15 p.m. At 6:15 p.m., a second presentation (duplicate of first) will be given followed by an open house meeting where BLM staffers and project proponents will again be available to answer questions until 7 p.m. The final hour will be a public hearing where individuals will have the opportunity to offer public comment. A court reporter will be available to record comments during the entirety of the public scoping meetings.
The public comment period opened on June 1 and will close August 30, 2018. The purpose of the public scoping process is to identify relevant issues that will influence the scope of the environmental analysis, including alternatives, and guide the process for developing the EIS. At present, the BLM has identified the following preliminary issues: threatened and endangered species, cultural resources, visual resources, surface water, recreation, socioeconomic effects and cumulative impacts. The congressionally designated Old Spanish National Historic Trail crosses the area. Habitat for the federally listed desert tortoise is in this proposal area.
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 blm_nv_sndo_yellowpine@blm.gov. For more information, please call Herman Pinales at (702) 515-5284.
More information about the project can be found on the BLM’s ePlanning website at https://go.usa.gov/xQF3z.
Before including addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, or other personal identifying information in comments, be aware that entire comments—including personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While commenters can request that personal identifying information be withheld from public review, the BLM cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
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.