BLM seeks input on proposed Arizona Strip Resource Management Plan amendment
Plan update is necessary for water pipeline route evaluation
By Rachel T. Carnahan
The Bureau of Land Management is accepting the public’s input on a proposal to amend the Arizona Strip Resource Management Plan as part of its evaluation of the proposed Lake Powell Pipeline route in the Kanab Creek Area of Critical Environmental Concern, located south of the Kaibab Paiute Reservation.
Approximately 1.5 miles of the proposed pipeline would run through the Kanab Creek Area of Critical Environmental Concern with a small portion (900 of 13,148 acres) of this affected; approximately 1 mile would be located within a designated utility corridor. The BLM must complete the Arizona Strip Resource Management Plan amendment in order to address planning inconsistencies between the proposed water pipeline route and the existing designated utility corridor.
“We are committed to hearing from all area stakeholders about the use of public lands in their backyards,” said Arizona Strip field manager Lorraine Christian. “The BLM works with the public to determine responsible uses of working landscapes, such as this proposed water pipeline project, which has the potential to benefit local communities through improved infrastructure, job creation, and economic growth.”
The Utah legislature passed the Lake Powell Pipeline Development Act in 2006. When completed, the 140-mile pipeline is estimated to generate 300 megawatts of power and divert 82,249 acre-feet of water from Lake Powell to Washington County and 4,000 acre-feet to Kane County annually. The Utah Division of Water Resources is a Lake Powell Pipeline Project proponent. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is the lead agency to complete the Environmental Impact Statement for the pipeline project, and the BLM is a cooperating agency.
The BLM has scheduled public scoping meetings in communities near the Kanab Creek Area of Critical Environmental Concern. During these meetings, the public can provide input to the BLM on relevant issues that will influence the scope of the environmental analysis, including alternatives, and help guide the planning process. The meetings are scheduled for the following dates, times, and locations:
—July 17 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Fredonia Elementary School Gym, 222 N 200 E, Fredonia, Arizona 86022.
—July 18 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Dixie Center, 1835 S. Convention Center Dr., St. George 84790.
—July 19 from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Kaibab Village Community Center, 2230 N. Pipe Spring Road, Fredonia, Arizona 86022.
Comments may also be submitted via mail and email. The comment period ends July 23.
Written comments may be mailed to BLM Arizona Strip field manager Lorraine Christian, Arizona Strip Field Office, 345 E. Riverside Dr., St. George, Utah 84790. Comments may also be faxed to Christian at (435) 688-3258 or emailed to blm_az_asfo_comments@blm.gov. Please include “Proposed Arizona Strip Resource Management Plan Amendment” in the subject line of your letter, fax, or email. All comments will be made available to the public.
The Notice of Intent, which was published June 22 in the Federal Register, announces the BLM’s intent to analyze the proposed amendment to the Arizona Strip Resource Management Plan related to the Kanab Creek Area of Critical Environmental Concern. The plan will incorporate the analysis for the plan’s amendment into Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s Environmental Impact Statement for the larger Lake Powell Pipeline Project. The commission will analyze the proposed pipeline project and the proposed Arizona Strip Resource Management Plan amendment to consider allowing development of the Lake Powell Pipeline within the Kanab Creek Area of Critical Environmental Concern.
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