he Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on Jan. 16, 2014, granted a right-of-way on BLM land for the proposed Sun Valley to Morgan 500/230-kilovolt (kV) Transmission Line Project. The right-of -way applies only to land that the BLM manages in northern Maricopa County, Arizona. Other landowners would need to make their own decisions.
In addition to granting a right-of-way to the Arizona Public Service Company (APS), the record of decision amends the resource management plan for the BLM land affected by the transmission line.
APS proposes building a 38-mile-long overhead transmission line from the Morgan Substation near Peoria to the planned Sun Valley Substation near northern Buckeye, 9 miles of which would be on public lands managed by the BLM. The majority of the transmission line would be on Arizona State Trust Lands and require approval from the Arizona State Land Department. The BLM is required by the National Environmental Policy Act to assess the impacts when its lands would be affected.
BLM published the final environmental impact statement (EIS) on the project in July. Subsequent protests by the Sierra Club and a citizen were evaluated by the BLM Director. He determined that the issues raised by the protests were adequately addressed in the EIS and that no further evaluation was necessary.
The Bradshaw-Harquahala Resource Management Plan, adopted in 2010, governs the use of the BLM land in the area. The record of decision amends the resource management plan by designating a 7-mile stretch of BLM land along State Route 74 as a utility corridor. In addition, the record of decision amends the visual resource classification of the area to allow for the transmission lines.
For further information, contact Joe Incardine, National Project Manager for the Sun Valley to Morgan 500/230 kV Transmission Line Project, at 801-539-4118, or email jincardi@blm.gov.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management
