Friends of Minidoka along with community partners have been fighting for nearly three years to preserve the solemn and reflective cultural landscape of Minidoka National Historic Site from a massive commercial wind development.

Last week, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issued its Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for Lava Ridge. 

The BLM claims they reduce the number of turbines by 50% to protect the site; however, the initial plan of action was massive, and even at a 40% reduction (BLM incorrectly states 50%), the turbines can still be seen and mar the sanctity of this solemn site. Additionally, the closest turbines are less than 9 miles away from the Visitor Center and half of the turbines are within 15 miles (the BLM’s plan references a 20-mile buffer as an area of potential effects specifically for visual impacts). The evaluative measure should be how the project impacts the historic site – not how much it has been reduced from the original proposal.

The alternative in the FEIS fails to protect Minidoka National Historic Site and mars its sanctity with this obstructive commercial project that favors the company rather than historic preservation and conservation.

To learn more about our fight to protect Minidoka:  https://www.minidoka.org/lava-ridge?blm_aid=23913