FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, June 7
CONTACT: Christianné Allen, Christianne.Allen@mail.house.gov
Marisa Melton, marisa.melton@mail.house.gov
Congressman Fulcher Slams the Bureau of Land Management’s Decision to Advance Lava Ridge Wind Project
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Congressman Russ Fulcher issued the following statement after the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) published its final environmental impact review approving the Lava Ridge Wind Project in Southern Idaho:
“The Bureau of Land Management’s decision to advance the Lava Ridge Wind Project and ignore the clear opposition of Idahoans is disgraceful,” said Congressman Fulcher. “This tax-subsidized project will undermine the way of life for the Magic Valley. The revised proposal is slightly smaller in scope than the original, but less of a bad policy doesn’t make it good policy. I will not stand by and allow the Biden Administration to take away the land Idahoans have utilized for recreation, farming, and ranching for decades because California would like to reap the benefits of wind production in our state.”
Background:
Earlier this Congress, Congressman Fulcher joined the entire Idaho Congressional Delegation in introducing H.R. 6064, the Don’t Develop Obstructive Infrastructure on our Terrain (Don’t DO IT) Act. This legislation would prevent the Secretary of Interior from approving a wind or solar project on federal lands if the Legislature in the respective state has passed a resolution of disapproval.
The Lava Ridge Wind Farm is a proposed 1000+ megawatt wind project planned for use on Bureau of Land Management land in the counties of Jerome, Lincoln, and Minidoka (about 25 miles northeast of Twin Falls). The site could include up to 400 individual turbines and the installation of election collection and transmission lines, substations, communications equipment, battery storage facilities, and operations and maintenance facilities.
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