Land segregation announced for Copper Rays Solar Project
Organization
BLM Office:
Media Contact:
LAS VEGAS – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Pahrump Field Office announces the two-year segregation of the application area for the Copper Rays Solar Project from appropriation under the public land laws in order to allow for the orderly administration of the public lands to facilitate consideration of development of renewable energy resources.
An initial prioritization assessment of this proposed project demonstrated that the potential for resource conflicts is low, thus establishing the application as a high priority for processing.
The Copper Rays Solar Project proposes the use of 5,518.18 acres of public lands managed by the BLM. The lands are located in Nye County in the Pahrump Valley along the State Route 160 corridor, southeast of the town of Pahrump, Nevada.
The BLM’s authority to implement a segregation for lands included in right-of-way applications proposing generation of renewable energy is established in agency regulations at 43 CFR 2091.3-1(e) and 43 CFR 2804.25(f).
“The BLM actively supports the Department of the Interior’s priority of developing 25GW of renewable energy on public lands by 2025” said Nicholas Pay, Field Manager of the Pahrump Field Office. “The segregation will ensure that the evaluation and potential development of the renewable energy proposal is not hindered by incompatible land use proposals or filings during the application review process.”
This Notice of Segregation will segregate the identified lands for two years from appropriation under the public land laws, including location under the Mining Law, but not the Mineral Leasing Act or the Materials Act, subject to valid existing rights. The segregation for the lands identified in the notice is effective October 21, 2021. The termination of segregation would occur at the earliest of the following dates: upon issuance of a decision by the authorized officer granting, granting with modifications, or denying the application for a right-of-way; without further administrative action at the end of the segregation provided for in the Federal Register notice initiating the segregation; or upon publication of a Federal Register notice terminating the segregation.
For more information, please contact Beth Ransel, Southern Nevada District Energy & Infrastructure Team, at (702) 515-5284 or BLM_NV_SND_EnergyProjects@blm.gov.
-BLM-
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.