1. Record of Decision

After a years-long review, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management has approved a smaller version of the massive Lava Ridge wind power project in south-central Idaho.

U.S. Sen. Jim Risch and Rep. Mike Simpson, both R-Idaho, condemned BLM for its approval of the project.

BLM’s Dec. 6 Record of Decision “flies in the face of the people of Idaho,” Risch said in a news release.

Lava Ridge “is completely out of touch with the values and needs of our state,” Simpson said in a release. “Despite having near-unanimous opposition in Idaho, the Biden administration and the Bureau of Land Management have continued to ignore Idahoans’ concerns.”

Impacts on former World War II internment camp Minidoka National Historic Site, livestock grazing, the aquifer, general and agricultural aviation and local infrastructure are among concerns raised by state and local leaders.

BLM downsized Lava Ridge, to be developed about 25 miles northeast of Twin Falls, and moved it away from Minidoka.

Magic Valley Energy, a unit of New York-based LS Power, proposed erecting up to 400 turbines as tall as 740 feet on about 84,000 acres. Plans originally called for a peak generating capacity of at least 1 gigawatt.

The BLM-approved plan reduces the area disturbed by half, decreases the number of turbines to 241 — 231 on BLM-managed lands and 10 on state-managed lands — and limits turbine height to 660 feet.

On BLM land, the 231 turbines and related infrastructure are expected to disturb 992 acres within 38,535 acres in Jerome, Lincoln and Minidoka counties, according to BLM.

Approval “reflects a careful balance of clean energy development with the protection of natural, cultural and socioeconomic resources on this historically significant landscape,” according to the agency.

The Record of Decision “directs required mitigation measures to protect these values.”

The decision defers future development proposals on over 212,000 acres in the area until BLM assesses the adequacy of mitigation.

BLM adjusted Lava Ridge so its closest turbine is nine miles from Minidoka National Historic Site and, on about 15,000 acres of public land, enacted interim measures to limit additional development and protect Minidoka cultural resources.

The measures will remain until the area is further considered for Area of Critical Environmental Concern designation through a formal planning process.

Setbacks are required, as are seasonal restrictions during construction. The developer must coordinate activity with ranchers.

Discussions with stakeholders helped shape the proposal and “led to a final decision that balances clean energy development that the country needs and the protection of resources that are vital to the natural and cultural history of the West,” BLM director Tracy Stone-Manning said in the release.

The Interior Department is “playing a pivotal role in tackling the climate crisis and boosting the clean energy economy” and “recognizes the deep history and significance of this landscape,” said Steve Feldgus, principal deputy assistant secretary for land and minerals management. Interior “appreciates the tremendous collaborative effort that went into minimizing the project’s impact on both the visual character of the area and the physical environment.”

The Biden administration “refuses to listen” to Idahoans, Risch said. “Instead, this administration will spend its final days attempting to inflict irreversible damage on southern Idaho and the Minidoka National Historic Site. This is far from over. I will continue to fight Lava Ridge and this abuse of our public lands.”

Simpson said he remains “committed to standing with the people of Idaho and working with the Trump administration on day one to disregard this project.”

Magic Valley Energy also committed to reserve energy capacity for Idaho customers, incorporated range improvements to help ranchers and planned for phased construction, according to a company release.

“We are pleased with the BLM’s decision and look forward to advancing the project into the construction and operation phase, when the economic benefits of the project will truly start to flow into the local communities,” said Luke Papez, LS Power senior director of project development.

A national BLM spokesperson would not comment.