(Supervisors approve letter to the BLM)…The letter will serve as the County Comments on the DRECP.

The Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan took 8 years to negotiate between several entities, including the Imperial County, and the Bureau of Land Management. For Imperial County, the Plan identifies 105,000 acres as Development Focus Areas. That is Federal Land in Imperial County that can be used for development of renewable energy projects, primarily solar projects. This has been important to the Imperial County, in order to conserve designated Ag Land, and still allow for solar development in the County. The plan by the current Administration to review the entire Desert Renewable Energy Plan is not necessary, according to the County. They say the Plan allows for amendments to be added, without destroying the general purpose of the plan. The letter approved by the Supervisors Tuesday to be submitted to the BLM, also supports the Imperial Irrigation District’s letter, seeking an amendment to the DRECP, that would allow the IID’s scope of influence along the Alamo River be expanded. Support for the proposed County letter was approved unanimously. The letter is the Counties comment on the BLM’s ordered review of the plan.