The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
The Bureau of Land Management Gunnison Field Office is seeking public comments on a proposal to lease two blocks of land near Gunnison for geothermal energy development.
On June 14, 2010, the BLM will have an open house for the public at which information similar to that presented at the March 11 public meeting will be available for public review. BLM staff will be on hand to answer any questions. The open house will be at the Forest Service/BLM/NRCS office at 216 N. Colorado St. in Gunnison and will run from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Both areas were nominated for lease by a renewable energy company. They include nearly 9,000 acres of mostly public land in southeastern Gunnison County near Tomichi Dome and the Waunita Hot Springs.
BLM will analyze the environmental impacts of leasing the land for geothermal development to determine if such a lease should go forward. All of the nominated lands are within occupied Gunnison sage-grouse habitat, and conservation measures may be required to adequately conserve the habitat in and near the nominated areas. The Gunnison sage grouse is currently being considered for protection under the Endangered Species Act by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The purpose of the public comment period, which extends through June 24, is to gather information and identify issues for the environmental analysis. Information on the proposal can be accessed online at http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/gfo.html or at the Gunnison Field Office at 216 N. Colorado Street in Gunnison. Comments can be provided via email to marnie_medina@blm.gov, or can be dropped off at the Gunnison Field Office.
