Santa Fe National Forest Schedules Albuquerque Public Meeting on
Draft Environmental Analysis on Geothermal Energy Development
SANTA FE, NM – July 27, 2016 – For Immediate Release. After receiving requests from the public to add an Albuquerque meeting on the topic, the Santa Fe National Forest today announced the fourth and final public meeting to provide a brief overview of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) on the potential effects of geothermal energy development on land within Forest boundaries.
The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, August 16, 2016, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the JCC of Greater Albuquerque, 5520 Wyoming Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109.
The Forest previously hosted public meetings in Santa Fe, Jemez Pueblo and El Rito to discuss the proposed project and the analysis of effects.
The Forest is soliciting public comment on the DEIS, and the formal comment period has been extended to Oct. 28, 2016. Comments may be sent by email to comments-southwestern-santafe@fs.fed.us or mailed to Comments, Santa Fe National Forest Headquarters, 11 Forest Lane, Santa Fe, NM 87508.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has identified approximately 195,000 acres within the boundaries of the SFNF with “significant geothermal potential.” The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has received expressions of interest in leasing approximately 46,000 acres of SFNF land for geothermal exploration and development. The BLM manages the subsurface resources on all federal land.
Of the project area identified by USGS, approximately 30,000 acres, including the Jemez National Recreation Area and the East Fork of the Jemez River, which has been designated a federal Wild and Scenic River, are closed to leasing by statute. The Forest Service also has discretionary authority to prohibit leasing to protect special resources. In the proposed project area, that would include the Jemez Mountain Trail National Scenic Byway, the Jemez Historic Site National Landmark and the Monument Canyon Research Natural Area, as well as SFNF administrative sites in the area.
Analysis of the effects of geothermal leasing began in June 2015 with a series of public meetings and a public comment period. The DEIS assesses both the physical and social impacts of any proposed leasing.