BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT OR-030-11-007
For release: May 9, 2011
BLM Contact: Mark Wilkening,
(541) 473-6218
USFS Contact: Kurt Wiedenmann
(541) 963-7186
Boardman to Hemingway Transmission Line Scoping Report Available
Vale, Ore. -- The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) announced today
that the revised scoping report for the Boardman to Hemingway Transmission Line Project (B2H Project)
is now available. Idaho Power’s B2H Project is a proposal to build, operate and maintain a new singlecircuit, 500 kilovolt transmission line from a proposed substation in Boardman, Oregon to the Hemingway
Substation near Melba, Idaho.
“BLM and USFS are pleased to release this early project milestone. The revised scoping report summarizes
the information we received from the public, which has provided the agencies with local perspectives that
will help shape the environmental impact statement,” said Donald Gonzalez, BLM Vale District Manager.
The B2H Project revised scoping report documents scoping outreach efforts, summarizes comments
received, and identifies issues raised and suggested alternatives for the proposed project. The report is
available for download on the project website. The report adds over 300 comments received during the
2010 scoping period to those received in 2008, as well as more than 900 comments submitted through
Idaho Power’s Community Advisory Process. Comments were provided by the public, Tribes and local,
state, and Federal agencies.
The BLM and USFS will use the revised scoping report to help prepare the draft environmental impact
statement (EIS), which will evaluate the B2H Project and a range of reasonable alternatives for potential
impacts to environmental, social and economic resources. The next opportunity for formal public comment
will be the 90-day comment period following the release of the draft EIS, expected in the spring of 2012.
The BLM will also hold public meetings during the draft EIS comment period.
The public can stay involved prior to the draft EIS release in the following ways:
Reviewing project documents and maps via the project website at
www.boardmantohemingway.com
Sending questions to the federal agencies via email to: [email protected]
U.S. mail addressed to Boardman to Hemingway Transmission Line Project, P.O. Box 655, Vale,
Oregon 97918.
Toll-free fax line at 888-251-3129.
About the BLM: The BLM manages more land – 245 million surface acres – than any other Federal agency. This land,
known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western States, including Alaska. The Bureau,
with a budget of about $1 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation.
The BLM’s multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of
present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock
grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical,
cultural, and other resources on public lands.