TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KLIX)-Another public open house will present information on the proposed Lava Ridge Wind project in the Magic Valley while the federal government has extended the time for the public to comment on the proposal. Magic Valley Energy, part of LS Energy, will host the open house September 15, at the Renew Coffee Shop on 111 E Main St, in Jerome. The open house is not affiliated with the scoping project, only an informational meeting hosted by the company. The proposed 1000 plus megawatt wind farm 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, and and economic output upwards of $500.

The Bureau of Land Management announced Monday it has extended the scoping period for the proposed project after big turn out at two virtual public meetings were held earlier this month. Now, the public can comment until October 20, 2021 on the project. “It is critically important to us that we respond to the concerns that we heard during our initial public meetings," said Shoshone Field Manager Codie Martin, in the announcement "We want to provide enough time for all of the issues, potential impacts, alternatives, and mitigation measures to be brought forward,” he said. “We are still in the very early stage of the analysis process, so we would encourage those interested in this project to provide information they believe we need to consider.”

Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Land Management
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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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