BLM Solar Plan - April 18 comment deadline

[Bull_n_heat]

Hey folks - the BLM Solar Plan is a West-wide programmatic Environmental assessment (Fancy word for a big project to identify suitable areas for something, in this case solar energy) that has potential to greenlight development of many areas throughout the West for industrial scale solar activities. The are seeking comments before April 18 on this plan, so it would be a good chance to tell them where these activities are NOT suitable. I think there is a good chance if a large number of folks emphasize that critical ranges for big game be kept off the table, that they actually will. Take a chance and weigh in!

Lots of resources and background info on a very similar thread here: https://rokslide.com/forums/threads/mule-deer-migration-routes-with-trcp.352012/#post-3579420. This will link you to a good discussion @robby denning has with the good folks at TRCP, as well as some commenting pages and ways to make your voice heard. There are even sample letters you can copy/paste, borrow, plagiarize, or otherwise cannibalize to craft your comments.

 

[street]

Honest question because I'm ignorant about this subject. But can't we put panels all over our city center buildings? Tops of covered parking lots, etc. Serves dual purpose that way, shade and power harvesting as one example.

 

[Bull_n_heat]

Honest question because I'm ignorant about this subject. But can't we put panels all over our city center buildings? Tops of covered parking lots, etc. Serves dual purpose that way, shade and power harvesting as one example.

Agreed here. I think this is exactly where this type of energy development should be placed, but in many cases (without sounding too cynical) these are not prioritized because companies can't make a bunch of money off of these small installations. In many cases, state legislatures actually have tried to dis-incentivize "net-metering" of these small solar producers. I think instead, we should be telling our elected officials to promote this activity (and probably incentive or even (gasp!) subsidize them) because it produces more jobs per kilowatt (think of all the techs involved in small scale installations), promotes individual-based energy independence, and helps keep tracts of lands from being swallowed up by yet more human development. These decisions are usually decided at a local or state level, but not by BLM.

For this proposal in particular because of this, arguments about rooftop solar are probably not as effective (you are more than welcome to mention them though). What BLM is essentially doing is trying to identify where they can use ~20,000 acres in each state for industrial scale solar. They have basically already have decided that they want to do this and are trying to decide where they should. Our job is to tell them where they should NOT. Suggest they steer towards abandoned strip mines, reclaimed coal fields or degraded areas first- not valuable, intact, wildlife habitat! I don't like giving up any of the American estate to this stuff, but there are better places than others if we have too (same way I feel about mining, energy, etc.)

Easiest way to comment is to send them straight to [email protected]

 

[Bull_n_heat]

Little more info here. Get those comments in by April 18!

Conservation groups press for big game habitat exclusions in federal solar energy initiative - WyoFile

The Bureau of Land Management is accepting comments through April 18 on a plan to offer solar energy leases in Wyoming and several other western states.

wyofile.com

 

[EdP]

They should not on ANY BLM land.

 

[CJ19]

Great info. Thanks for taking the time to post this.

 

[mtmiller]

They should not on ANY BLM land.

Solar or any uses?

 

[adamsjordan78]

Honest question because I'm ignorant about this subject. But can't we put panels all over our city center buildings? Tops of covered parking lots, etc. Serves dual purpose that way, shade and power harvesting as one example.

Exactly

 

[Bull_n_heat]

Hey folks-

There was a fair amount of traffic on this back in the spring, and it looks like the hard work paid off. BLM just released the revised proposal on Solar development on their lands in the West. By and large, I think this is much improved over what was originally proposed and substantial exclusion areas were given for important wildlife habitats. Certainly, there is still development, and we're still waiting on "a solar panel on every Walmart before any development on public recreation lands", but the comments from the hunting communities paid off. Keep them up!

Check out the maps for your states of interest here:

EplanningUi

eplanning.blm.gov

And, should you be interested in protesting the plan, you've got about three weeks.

 

[Atoka Man]

Hey folks - the BLM Solar Plan is a West-wide programmatic Environmental assessment (Fancy word for a big project to identify suitable areas for something, in this case solar energy) that has potential to greenlight development of many areas throughout the West for industrial scale solar activities. The are seeking comments before April 18 on this plan, so it would be a good chance to tell them where these activities are NOT suitable. I think there is a good chance if a large number of folks emphasize that critical ranges for big game be kept off the table, that they actually will. Take a chance and weigh in!

Lots of resources and background info on a very similar thread here: https://rokslide.com/forums/threads/mule-deer-migration-routes-with-trcp.352012/#post-3579420. This will link you to a good discussion @robby denning has with the good folks at TRCP, as well as some commenting pages and ways to make your voice heard. There are even sample letters you can copy/paste, borrow, plagiarize, or otherwise cannibalize to craft your comments.

Solar farms on BLM land is stupid. Smarter options include putting it over parking lots or on existing and new buildings. Providing incentive to put it on public lands is short sighted and we end up losing much of the use of that land. Putting it over parking lots provide additional benefits of provide cover for parking and reducing the solar radiation absorbed by the asphalt. This could possibly reduce temperatures in urban areas while providing the benefit of lower cost energy. Building out the infrastructure for wide spread solar use on existing buildings is also probably a better idea that these giant solar farms and thousands of acres of unused roof space exists in this country, unused roof space that does not support sustainable populations of Mule Deer and Elk.

 

[Bull_n_heat]

Solar farms on BLM land is stupid. Smarter options include putting it over parking lots or on existing and new buildings. Providing incentive to put it on public lands is short sighted and we end up losing much of the use of that land. Putting it over parking lots provide additional benefits of provide cover for parking and reducing the solar radiation absorbed by the asphalt. This could possibly reduce temperatures in urban areas while providing the benefit of lower cost energy. Building out the infrastructure for wide spread solar use on existing buildings is also probably a better idea that these giant solar farms and thousands of acres of unused roof space exists in this country, unused roof space that does not support sustainable populations of Mule Deer and Elk.

100% agreed - talk to local, state, and national representatives and let them know that's where we need to be doing this!