BLM Idaho Resource Advisory Council and Lava Ridge Subcommittee to host field tour
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The field tour will begin and end at the BLM Twin Falls District Office, 2878 Addison Avenue, Twin Falls, Idaho, 83301 and will include stops at the Minidoka National Historic Site, Wilson Butte Cave, and Sid Butte. Members of the public are welcome to attend but must provide their own transportation and meals. Some travel on dirt roads will be required, so high clearance vehicles are strongly recommended. Individuals who plan to attend must RSVP by Wednesday, June 1, to Julie Clark, Acting Public Affairs Officer, BLM Twin Falls District, jdclark@blm.gov or (707) 616-8291. Requests for special assistance, such as sign language interpretation and other reasonable accommodations, must also be submitted to Julie Clark by June 1.
A complete field tour agenda is posted on the BLM Idaho Resource Advisory Council website at https://www.blm.gov/get-involved/resource-advisory-council/near-you/idaho The public comment period will be held from 4:45 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. in the wareyard at the BLM Twin Falls District Office. Depending on the number of people wishing to comment and time available, the amount of time for individual oral comments may be limited. Written comments may also be submitted before the meeting via email to MJ Byrne, BLM Idaho Resource Advisory Council Coordinator at mbyrne@blm.gov.
“The Idaho Resource Advisory Council and the Subcommittee provide an important avenue for the BLM to gain public input on the proposed Lava Ridge Wind Energy project in addition to the public involvement opportunities that the National Environmental Policy Act process offers,” said Karen Kelleher, Idaho State Director for the BLM. “We greatly appreciate these individuals who volunteer their time to share their perspectives and enhance the agency’s decision making.”
The 15-member BLM Idaho Resource Advisory Council provides a forum that brings together stakeholders with diverse interests to provide advice and recommendations to the BLM on issues and challenges associated with the Bureau’s multiple use mission. The BLM Idaho Resource Advisory Council formed the Proposed Lava Ridge Wind Energy Project Subcommittee to compile information and conduct research, in accordance with the BLM Idaho Resource Advisory Council Charter. The BLM Shoshone Field Office is currently developing an Environmental Impact Statement to analyze the proposed Lava Ridge Wind Energy Project, a commercial-scale wind energy facility that is proposed to be constructed on BLM-managed public land in southern Idaho.
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.