| Contacts: | Natalie Cooper (208) 373-3905 |
Draft Geotechnical Environmental Assessment for Gateway West Project Available for Review and Comment
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has published the draft environmental assessment (EA) for the geotechnical surveys related to the proposed Gateway West Transmission Line project. The BLM will accept comments on the EA through July 22, 2009.
The EA is available for public review on the BLM Gateway West website, http://www.wy.blm.gov/nepa/cfodocs/gateway_west . Maps of the project area at 1:100,000 scale and a draft Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) are also available on the website.
The BLM is providing a 30-day period for comment on the EA prior to signing a FONSI and Decision Record. All valid comments submitted by July 22, 2009 will be considered and addressed prior to publication of the Decision Record. Comments may be submitted through the project website, by email to Gateway_West_WYMail@blm.gov , or in writing to the following address:
Gateway West Transmission Line Project
2987 Prospector Drive
Casper WY 82604-2968
The proposed Gateway West Transmission Line is a joint proposal by Idaho Power and Rocky Mountain Power to build 230- and 500-kilovolt power transmission lines between the Windstar substation in Glenrock, Wyoming and the Hemingway substation southwest of Boise, Idaho.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.