Last Day to Comment on Proposed Lava Ridge Wind Farm Oct. 20

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KLIX)-The final day to comment on a proposed 400 wind turbine project in the Magic Valley is October 20, Wednesday. The Bureau of Land Management extended the deadline for the Lava Ridge Wind Project proposed by Magic Valley Energy, part of LS Energy, includes a 1000 plus megawatt wind farm that will span Jerome, Lincoln, and Minidoka Counties in an area south of Idaho Highway 24 between the communities of Shoshone and Minidoka. The company claims the project will generate more than 700 jobs during construction, have an $80 million tax impact for the state.

The Bureau of Land Management extended the scoping period for the proposed project after a big turnout at two virtual public meetings were held earlier this year. According to the BLM, the proposal calls for building 400 wind turbines as tall as 740 feet, built on 76,000 acres of 1/2 mile wide corridors. The BLM has proposed temporarily setting aside 73,000 acres of public land from any land sale or new mining claims for two years for this project. The BLM wants to know of any issues, concerns, possible impacts, alternatives, or mitigation the public may see as a result of the project.

Here is how you can submit a comment:

-Electronically via the BLM Land Use Planning and National Environmental Policy Act Register: Navigate to https://go.usa.gov/xFKxg and click on the “Participate Now” button to the right of the document link. Enter your comment and information, then click “Submit”
-E-mail comments to BLM_ID_LavaRidge@blm.gov
-Mail comments to Kasey Prestwich, Project Manager, BLM Shoshone Field Office, 400 West F Street, Shoshone, ID 83352

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