Renewable Energy & Eastern Oregon Landscape Conservation Partnership (aka Sagebrush Conservation Partnership ) Declaration of Cooperation

Transcription

1 Renewable Energy & Eastern Oregn Landscape Cnservatin Partnership (aka Sagebrush Cnservatin Partnership ) Declaratin f Cperatin Preamble The State f Oregn has adpted laws fr cnservatin, renewable energy innvatin and climate mitigatin, including a target f 25% renewable energy by 2025, and reducing greenhuse gases t 10% belw 1990 levels by 2020 and 75% belw 1990 levels by In 2009, the US Department f Interir established renewable energy develpment as a pririty. The Bureau f Land Management is respnsible fr sme f the mst beautiful landscapes and imprtant habitat in the West, including frests and rangelands, beaches, and muntains acrss mre than 15 millin acres in Oregn. The State f Oregn, thrugh the Department f Energy is respnsible fr ensuring reliable and affrdable energy fr its citizens and, thrugh its Department f Fish and Wildlife, is respnsible fr prtecting and enhancing fish and wildlife species and habitat. In early 2010 the Gvernr s Office and BLM began explratry discussins abut hw best t address cmmn interests in pursuing renewable energy pprtunities that meet the affrdability and reliability gals, fster scial and ecnmic respnsibility in the use and management f lands and resurces, and supprt cnservatin and restratin f habitat needed t sustain the health and diversity f ecsystems. The Gvernr s Office and BLM subsequently cnvened a meeting f cre agencies. The primary purpses f these first meetings were t discuss a partnership and develp jint statement f principles, review the recent Warranted but Precluded sage gruse listing decisin under the Endangered Species Act, and develp a clear plan t mve frward in a timely manner t address issues related t renewable energy develpment and natural resurce cnservatin in eastern Oregn with special emphasis n sagebrush habitat. The results included setting a curse t establish an nging cllabrative apprach t address the needs and issues inherent t renewable energy and habitat cnservatin acrss Eastern Oregn. The desired utcme f this Partnership is t bring tgether the cre stakehlders needed t create an elevated, transparent dialgue and prvide the leadership t prceed cllabratively. T assist in this endeavr the partners have agreed t establish a Statement f Principles and Objectives, and t express the partners initial agreements and n-ging intentins in a Declaratin f Cperatin. The Basis fr a Cllabrative Actin Strategy This Gvernr-led state and federal agency cllabrative effrt will articulate reginal plicy pprtunities and challenges assciated with cnservatin and habitat prtectin, and renewable energy develpment, in Eastern Oregn. Discussins amng the partners will begin t identify shared actins and the resurces needed t effectively and efficiently seize pprtunities and address the challenges facing us in achieving this gal.

2 Partners will seek cllabrative appraches t mutually address issues, beginning with sagebrush and sage gruse issues, and hw we might agree n criteria fr identifying areas in Eastern Oregn that have ptential fr new energy develpment as well as thse areas where there are significant challenges t develpment. This includes renewable energy and transmissin capacity develpment n federal and state lands and n private lands in clse prximity t these public lands. Initially, the Gvernr, Oregn state agencies f Fish and Wildlife, State Lands and Energy, the BLM, NRCS, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service expressed interest in expanding their individual relatinships t include greater cllabratin n a range f envirnmental issues related t cnservatin and habitat prtectin in Eastern Oregn, including but nt limited t sage gruse cnservatin and habitat prtectin, and renewable energy develpment. In the near term the Partnership recgnizes that ther agencies, lcal gvernment, tribes, agricultural prducers, develpers and thers in the private sectr, and interest grups share similar gals. The Partnership desires t engage stakehlders in a brader dialgue regarding landscape scale cnservatin and renewable energy. The Partnership Principles and Objectives This Partnership brings tgether cre agencies t create the pprtunity fr meaningful review, assessment, discussin, planning and crdinatin f renewable energy prjects at a landscape scale acrss Eastern Oregn. The Partnership stakehlders agree t meaningfully partner tgether fr this purpse. The initial fcus f the partnership will be renewable energy pprtunities in the sagebrush habitat f Eastern Oregn. The Partnership Statement f Principles and Objectives includes cllabratively wrking tgether t: Create and maintain a neutral frum and transparent dialgue needed t effectively cllabrate n strategies fr cntinued prtectin and restratin f sagebrush and ther imprtant Eastern Oregn landscapes, and develpment f renewable energy pprtunities. Build n the existing memrandum f agreement between BLM and the Oregn Department f Energy (February 2009) t share envirnmental analysis f energy facility citing prpsals fr federal NEPA prcesses and state energy facility citing prcesses. Cllabrate, where apprpriate, n review f applicatins fr lcal, state and federal permits, leases and ther siting authrizatins, and n issuance f authrizatins and assciated cnditins within the bunds f each agency s statutry authrity. Identify pprtunities fr cllabratin in supprt f cnsistent implementatin f cnservatin and mitigatin strategies fr imprtant habitats acrss Eastern Oregn, including sagebrush habitat. Build n existing maps and share infrmatin as it becmes available t create maps identifying areas fr ptential develpment and areas with resurce challenges t be used as guidance dcuments fr state and federal agencies, lcal gvernments and develpers ( challenges and pprtunities maps ), and t use maps as a tl t fster transparent dialgue. Page 2 f 16

3 Specifically regarding sagebrush habitat:, Create and maintain a neutral frum and transparent dialgue needed t effectively cllabrate n strategies fr cntinued prtectin f sage gruse and sage gruse habitat with r withut ESA listing. The BLM has created a map which verlays sage gruse and pygmy rabbit habitat, mule deer winter range and areas that have been administratively withdrawn frm develpment. The intent is fr the verlay f these layers t infrm ptential develpers f the kinds f pprtunities, and challenges, develpment prpsals may face in certain areas. The Partnership intends t use challenges and pprtunities maps as a building blck fr ur discussins. Additinal map layers fr ther imprtant resurces will likely be added t the map as participating partners make thse available. Prduce additinal tls and pprtunities fr assessing, discussing, planning and reviewing renewable energy facilities planning fr prjects f all sizes with the intent t integrate infrmatin and activities at a landscape scale and in a transparent manner. Mutually cnsider cncerns related t visual impacts f renewable energy and energy transmissin prjects. Pursue c-spnsring a sympsium n renewable energy pprtunities in Eastern Oregn in early Nvember 2010 as ne key step t engage brader dialgue. Implement prtcls fr dealing with new, unfreseen issues f cmmn cncern as they arise. Page 3 f 16

4 Gvernr Kulngski s Natural Resurces Office Gvernr Kulngski's Natural Resurces Office is cnvening the Renewable Energy and Eastern Oregn Landscape Cnservatin Partnership with BLM t cllabrate n hw t best identify and address the pprtunities and challenges arund develpment f renewable energy while als wrking t cnserve and prtect sagebrush and ther imprtant habitat in Eastern Oregn. GNRO supprts the Partnership Statement f Principles and Objectives as the initial basis fr cllabratively wrking n renewable energy and transmissin develpment n federal lands, state lands and n private lands in clse prximity t public lands in Eastern Oregn. In this regard, GNRO will cntinue t supprt the wrk f the state and federal agencies that wn land where siting may ccur and thse agencies (in additin t EFSC) that must cmment n r issue permits fr prjects t create a landscape scale framewrk that will infrm develpers and thers where they can expect t encunter natural resurce cnflicts r where thse cnflicts may be minimal, especially relative t sage gruse. GNRO will cntinue t cmmunicate this wrk within the Gvernr s Office and t ther state agencies invlved with verall energy plicy. GNRO will cntinue t wrk t make cnnectins between stakehlder grups, plicies and implementatin strategies as they evlve, t further the gals f the Partnership t plan n a landscape scale. T this end, GNRO will, subject t available resurces, cntinue t c-cnvene this prject, prvide needed assistance in administering related plicies as apprpriate, and supprt effrts t build upn the Partnership s shared Principles and Objectives in rder t guide the develpment f renewable energy in Oregn. Mike Carrier, Gvernr s Natural Resurce Plicy Directr Page 4 f 16

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13 Attachment A Actin Strategy: Timeline fr Key Partnership Actins July 30 - Partnership Meeting. Review and sign Declaratin f Cperatin. Review BLM pprtunity map and cnsider expanding t a partnership map. August Oregn Fish and Wildlife public meetings regarding the updated Sage Gruse Cnservatin Strategy. August - BLM annuncement regarding the Opprtunities Map. August 31 - Octber 1 - Octber 6- Partnership meeting. Oregn Fish and Wildlife Cmmissin Meeting (Bend). Briefing n the updated draft plan will be presented t the Cmmissin. Public cmment. Next Partnership meeting. Nvember 9- Partnership Sympsium/Outreach. December 3 - Oregn Fish and Wildlife Cmmissin Meeting (Prtland). Presentatin f the revised plan and prpsed adptin. Written cmments will be accepted thrugh the Dec. 3rd Cmmissin meeting. Page 13 f 16

14 Attachment B Thedre R. Kulngski Gvernr March 31, 2010 RE: Renewable Energy & Sagebrush Cnservatin Partnership Dear Partners: I m pleased t invite yu all t attend the first meeting f the Renewable Energy & Sagebrush Cnservatin Partnership. This Gvernr-led state and federal agency cllabrative effrt will articulate reginal plicy pprtunities and challenges assciated with sage gruse cnservatin and habitat prtectin, and renewable energy develpment. Partners will seek cllabrative appraches t mutually address sagebrush and sage gruse issues and hw we might agree n criteria fr identifying areas in Eastern Oregn that have ptential fr new energy develpment as well as thse areas where there wuld be significant challenges t develpment. This includes renewable energy and transmissin develpment n federal lands, state lands and n private lands in clse prximity t public lands. We hpe t build n an existing memrandum f agreement with Oregn Department f Energy t share envirnmental analysis f energy facility citing prpsals fr federal NEPA prcesses and state energy facility citing prcesses. The Gvernr, state agencies, the BLM, NRCS, and the Fish and Wildlife Service have expressed interest in expanding their individual relatinships t include even greater cllabratin n a range f envirnmental issues related t sage gruse cnservatin and habitat prtectin, and renewable energy develpment. The primary purpses f this first meeting are t discuss the partnership and develp jint statement f principles, discuss the recent Warranted but Precluded sage gruse listing decisin, and develp a clear plan t mve frward in a timely manner. We hpe t begin with a draft statement f principles that we Page 14 f 16

15 want this expanded cllabratin t achieve. Once we have reached agreement and the jint statement is issued, we wuld use the principles t build a memrandum f agreement cnfirming the nging cllabratin. The fllwing draft statements f principles are the areas f crdinatin we have discussed with BLM thus far: Creatin and sharing f maps identifying areas fr ptential develpment and areas with resurce challenges t be used as guidance dcuments fr state and federal agencies, lcal gvernments and develpers: The BLM has created a map which verlays key sage gruse and pygmy rabbit habitat, mule deer winter range, DOD flight paths and areas that have been administratively withdrawn frm develpment. The aggregate f these layers can infrm ptential develpers f the kinds f challenges they may face in certain areas. We hpe t use this map as a building blck fr ur discussins. Cllabratin, where apprpriate, n review f applicatins fr lcal, state and federal permits, leases and ther siting authrizatins, and cllabratin in issuance f authrizatins and assciated cnditins. Cllabratin n strategies fr cntinued prtectin f sage gruse and sage gruse habitat with r withut ESA listing. Prtcls fr dealing with new, unfreseen issues f cmmn cncern as they arise. I have asked the BLM t wrk with the Natinal Plicy Cnsensus Center (NPCC) t help facilitate this meeting and the partnership in general. NPCC has extensive experience in cllabrative prblem slving, engaging all levels f gvernment and their rle will help make yur participatin mre efficient and effective. Either my ffice r NPCC staff will cntact yu sn t schedule this first meeting. Sincerely, Michael Carrier Natural Resurces Plicy Directr Office f Gvernr Thedre R. Kulngski Page 15 f 16

16 Attachment C. Related Backgrund Materials Other dcuments identified as imprtant t the Partnership discussin include: - Memrandum f Understanding amng Western Assciatin f Fish and Wildlife Agencies, USFS, BLM, USFWS, USGS, NRCS and USDA Farm Service Agency (2008); - Order N which establishes the develpment f renewable energy as a pririty fr the Department f Interir. It was signed by Secretary f the Interir Ken Salazer n March 11, 2009; - Oregn BLM Energy Resurces Team Draft reprt (2009); - Energy and Transmissin Prjects n BLM in Oregn & Washingtn (2010). (right f way applicatins); - BLM Suthern Idah Infrastructure Develpment Cnflict Map - Western Gvernrs Assciatin Western Renewable Energy Zne Prject Page 16 f 16