The State of Idaho and Bureau of Land Management are at odds over sage grouse protection measures and the placement of a large power transmission project. Photo by Jim Parker
Idaho Appeals Gateway West Proposed Route By John Thompson Idaho Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter and the Bureau of Land Management are at odds over a plan to manage sage grouse that could alter the path of a large power transmission project. BLM accepted and acknowledged Wyoming’s plan outlining critical habitat for sage grouse and incorporated that state’s
advice into planning the path of the Gateway West Transmission Project. However, Idaho’s plan was not taken into consideration and BLM’s Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the transmission project relies heavily on private land, crossing mainly southern Idaho farms, rather than federally managed land. BLM Project Manager Walt George says the federal agency can’t dictate where the
transmission corridor will be established, only where it enters and exits federal land. However, Gov. Otter and a coalition of private landowners contend the agency’s stance is disingenuous. “Simply claiming that BLM lacks siting authority over nonfederal lands essentially ignores the fact that when BLM grants a right-of-way, its decisions dictate the location of the rightSee GATEWAY WEST page 11
Idaho Farm Bureau producer / OCTOBER 2013
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