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SOCORRO, N.M. - The Bureau of Land Management today released its final analysis of the proposed Borderlands Wind Project in New Mexico, which if approved would generate up to 100 megawatts of power on BLM-managed public lands. Today’s announcement commences a 30-day protest period that will end on May 11, 2020.

“We invite members of the public and interested parties to provide comments on the Borderlands Wind Project,” said BLM New Mexico State Director Tim Spisak. “Through projects like this one, the BLM is able to manage public lands to maximize opportunities for commercial, recreational, and conservation activities.”

Borderlands Wind, LLC (a subsidiary of NextEra Energy), is proposing a wind-powered electrical generation facility in western Catron County, N.M. The BLWP would be built near Quemado, N.M., and the Arizona–New Mexico border. Ancillary facilities would include access roads, underground collection lines, fiber-optic communication, electrical transmission distribution lines and a substation/switchyard in support of the turbines that would generate up to 100 megawatts of power.

The BLM today published a Notice of Availability in the Federal Register for the Final Environmental Impact Statement and Proposed Resource Management Plan Amendment to analyze and disclose environmental impacts associated with the Borderlands Wind, LLC, proposal to construct, operate and decommission the Borderlands Wind Project. 

The BLM Preferred Alternative (Alternative 2) would consist of 34 constructed turbines including larger turbines having a maximum overall height of up to 630 feet on approximately 16,648 acres of BLM-administered land.

The Final EIS and other relevant documents have been made available at https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/plans-in-development/new-mexico/proposed-borderlands-wind-project. 
Anyone who participated in the planning process for this Proposed RMP and Integrated RMP and has an interest, which is or may be adversely affected by the planning decisions, may protest approval of the planning decisions. The Final EIS/Proposed RMP and Integrated RMP is open for a 30-day protest period beginning on April 10, 2020.

Regulations specify required elements of your protest. Document all relevant facts, and reference or cite the planning documents or available planning records (e.g. meeting minutes or summaries, correspondence, etc.) as much as possible.

Instructions for filing a protest with the Director of the BLM regarding the Final EIS/Proposed BLM RMP and Proposed Integrated RMP may be found online at https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/public-participation/filing-a-plan-protest. 

All protests must be in writing and mailed to the address below or submitted electronically through the BLM ePlanning project website. Protests submitted electronically by any means other than the ePlanning project website protest section will be invalid unless a protest is also submitted in hard copy.  Protests submitted by fax will also be invalid unless also submitted either through ePlanning project website protest section or in hard copy. 

All protests must be in writing and mailed to one of the following addresses: 
-    Mail: BLM Director (210), Attn: Protest Coordinator, P.O. Box 261117, Lakewood, CO 80226
-    Overnight delivery: BLM Director (210), Attn: Protest Coordinator, 2850 Youngfield Street, Lakewood, CO 80215

Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment – including your personal identifying information – may be made publicly available at any time.  While you can request to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, no guarantees can be made that we will be able to do so.

For further information, contact Virginia Alguire, BLM Socorro Field Office, 901 S. Hwy 85, Socorro, New Mexico 87801; phone 575-838-1290; or email to valguire@blm.gov.