< All Press Releases

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced today that it signed the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Southline Transmission Line Project (Project), a 367-mile, 345-kV electric transmission line running from southern New Mexico to southern Arizona. The approved route crosses 100 miles of public land administered by the BLM, with the remainder located on land administered by other agencies and state and private land. The approved route originates at the Afton Substation, south of Las Cruces, NM, and terminates at the Saguaro Substation, north of Tucson, AZ.

The ROD approves the issuance of a right-of-way (ROW) grant for the construction, operation, maintenance, and eventual decommissioning of the Project. The route approved by the ROD is the same route identified as the agency’s preferred alternative in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which was published in the Federal Register on Nov. 6, 2015.  The approved project is the result of a major collaborative effort involving multiple state, local and federal cooperating agencies from Arizona and New Mexico and the public.

“The signing of the ROD represents an important milestone and concludes the review for this important project,” said Bill Childress, BLM Las Cruces District manager. “The approved route reflects the hard work and collaboration by interested stakeholders to find solutions to issues ranging from effects on local industry, national defense, to impacts on important wildlife habitat.”

The approved route, which was selected after close consultation with the Department of Defense, Arizona Game and Fish Department, and other cooperating agencies, maximizes the use of the existing rights-of-way, consolidates existing linear development, and minimizes impacts to the environment and area stakeholders.  Of particular note is an agreement that provides the Arizona Game and Fish Department with upgraded habitat for a wide variety of wildlife, in particular the sandhill cranes near the Willcox Playa in southern Arizona.  It also avoids impacts to the wine grape industry near Willcox, Arizona, and Department of Defense operations in and near the Willcox Playa and at the Marana Airport.

 “By working together, all of the interests were able to meet and resolve conflicts and in the end, there is an amazing benefit to many wildlife species and to the public that enjoys them,” said Jim deVos, Assistant Director of Wildlife Management with the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

BLM New Mexico and Western Area Power Administration (Western) were co-leads in preparing the EIS. Western is a part of the Department of Energy.  On April 5, 2016, Western signed a ROD that selected the EIS’s Preferred Alternative as the route for the project and also committed Western and the proponent to implementing various project-specific mitigation measures.  Western is still evaluating whether to provide development assistance for the project, and will do so in a subsequent decision.

The ROD and maps, showing the selected alternative (approved route), can be viewed at www.blm.gov/nm/southline.

For more information, contact BLM Las Cruces District Manager Bill Childress at 575-525-4499.