1. BLM project detail, comment portal

The public comment period for the proposed Lava Ridge wind project will end on April 20. It would be one of the largest wind power projects in the U.S.

The proposal had attracted more than 6,000 comments as of April 7, said Project Manager Kasey Prestwich of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement was released in mid-January.

The comment period has generated heavy participation and engagement at several public meetings and “a lot of information from stakeholder groups,” he said. People are “providing very informative comments to us.”

A further breakdown was not immediately available.

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When the period ends, all comments will be read and discussed to help refine the analysis, said Heather Tiel-Nelson, public affairs specialist with BLM’s Twin Falls District.

The Final Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision is expected to be issued in late fall or early winter, Prestwich said.

Magic Valley Energy, a unit of New York-based LS Power, proposes Lava Ridge about 25 miles northeast of Twin Falls.

It would feature up to 400 turbines on 84,000 acres of federal, state and private land in Jerome, Lincoln and Minidoka counties.

BLM prefers two alternatives that would have fewer turbines, impact smaller areas and cause less visual impact on the Minidoka National Historic Site, according to the Draft EIS. The historic site is a former World War II internment camp.

Concerns expressed publicly have centered on potential impacts to road and other infrastructure, livestock grazing, the local supply of workers, the aquifer, and wildlife and cultural resources.

Magic Valley Energy officials have said the public process is working, and that BLM’s preferred alternatives address stakeholder concerns while outlining benefits such as the project’s economic impact and its contribution to clean-energy supplies.

Another alternative is to not build the project. The legislature this year supported the no-build option by passing House Concurrent Resolution 4, partly in response to strong opposition by local governments including highway districts and county commissions.

Earlier, various concerns were expressed to BLM in a letter from Gov. Brad Little, Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke, U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson, and U.S. Sens. Mike Crapo and Jim Risch.

Comments can be mailed to Prestwich at the field office, 400 W. F St., Shoshone, Idaho, 83352, emailed to BLM_ID_LavaRidge@blm.gov or submitted via BLM’s project website.