The clock is ticking on getting public input on the draft Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan. Reporter Dan Stork tells how you can have your voice heard…
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), California Energy Commission (CEC) and California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) will hold 10 public meetings for the draft Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) between October 20 and November 13. The one closest to the Morongo Basin will be on Friday November 7 from 4:00 to 6:30 p.m. at the UC Riverside, Palm Desert Center Auditorium, 75080 Frank Sinatra Dr. in Palm Desert.
The draft DRECP proposes to protect areas in the California desert that are important for wildlife, recreation, cultural and other uses while also facilitating the timely permitting of solar, wind and geothermal energy projects and associated transmission in appropriate areas. The draft plan presents six alternative approaches for meeting renewable energy and conservation goals through 2040. Each alternative proposes a different conservation design and configuration of lands available for more efficient and predictable renewable energy project review. The draft plan also includes an analysis of the potential environmental impacts of these alternatives.
Visit www.drecp.org to confirm meeting details and WebEx availability. Information on how to get and comment upon the DRECP document itself is given in this story at z1077fm.com. The DRECP’s formal public comment period runs through January 9, 2015.
The draft DRECP EIR/EIS is available for review and download at www.drecp.org, and at local libraries and agency offices. A DVD will be provided upon request. To request a DVD, please send an email request to [email protected] or call 866-674-9996 and provide a mailing address. For a list of local area libraries and agency offices that have the document on file (most are on DVD), please visit www.drecp.org/draftdrecp.
STILL TIME TO COMMENT ON RENEWABLE ENERGY PLAN
