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Home My WebLink About3/21/2018 - STAFF REPORTS - 1.Q. FPALMsOP � a u a •ro.•... ° CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT C4</FORN�P DATE: March 21, 2018 CONSENT CALENDAR SUBJECT: PUBLIC COMMENT RE UNITED STATES BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT REVIEW OF DESERT RENEWABLE ENERGY CONSERVATION PLAN LAND USE AMENDMENT BY: Edward Z. Kotkin, City Attorney SUMMARY On September 14, 2016, the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issued its approval of the most recent amendment to the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan Land Use Plan Amendment (DRECP). On March 28, 2017, President Trump issued Executive Order 13783, "Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth." The basic premise of the executive action is that the DRECP may "potentially burden the development or use of domestically produced energy resources." The BLM is currently accepting comments and Councilmember Holstege requested the City Council have an opportunity to discuss and provide direction on submitting comments in opposition to the BLM. RECOMMENDATION: Approve comments as reflected in the letter attached to this report as ATTACHMENT A, and authorize the City Manager to issue the letter and execute any other related documents necessary. STAFF ANALYSIS: The DRECP was a collaborative effort between the California Energy Commission, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, also known as the Renewable Energy Action Team. The September 2016 amendment to the DRECP covers the 10 million acres of BLM- managed lands in the DRECP plan area and supports the overall renewable energy and conservation goals of the DRECP. A map showing the DRECP plan area is attached to this report as ATTACHMENT B. THE DRECP was intended as a major component of California's renewable energy planning efforts, to help provide effective protection and conservation of desert ecosystems while allowing for the appropriate development of renewable energy projects. The entire DRECP is focused on 22.5 million acres in the desert regions and adjacent REM NO._,_,Q' City Council Staff Report March 21, 2018-- Page 2 Comment Letter re DRECP lands of seven California counties — Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego. It is an innovative landscape-level plan that streamlines renewable energy development while conserving unique and valuable desert ecosystems and providing outdoor recreation opportunities. Environmentalists view the DRECP in a favorable light. Ileene Anderson, a senior scientist with the Center for Biological Diversity, which was involved with the planning process for the DRECP from beginning to end, assessed the DRECP as follows: "We saw this as a way to avoid the sometimes significant environmental impacts for some of the [renewable energy] projects being proposed," she said. "Like with any plan, there is compromise. Nobody walked away with everything they wanted. But nobody litigated. It was better than the status quo, and everybody could abide by it." The administration's decision to reopen the comment period for the DRECP has been viewed by many with skepticism. Alex Daue, Assistant Director for Energy and Climate at The Wilderness Society opined that reopening the DRECP would, "...undermine both renewable energy and conservation...." Further, he indicated that the administration would be proposing, "...a 72 percent cut to clean energy research and a 50 percent cut to the BLM's renewable energy budget.... Reopening the carefully crafted, balanced plan will only result in uncertainty, conflict and worse outcomes for renewable energy, recreation and conservation." Councilmember Holstege has requested that the Council have the opportunity to make comments in the BLM's public scoping process for additional potential amendments to the DRECP. Members of the public wishing to comment on the potential for additional DRECP amendments may do so via BLM-Califomia State Director, 2800 Cottage Way, Rm W-1623, Sacramento, CA 95825 or electronically to BLM CA DRECP(aD_blm.cgov. Despite the fact the BLM website indicates that all comments were due on 03/19/2018, Staff verified with the BLM that comments are in fact being accepted through 03/22/2018. > I! David H. Ready, Esq. Edward Z. Kotkin City Manager City Attorney Attachments: A. Proposed Comment Letter B. Map of DRECP Plan Area 02 ATTACHMENT A 03 RE: PUBLIC COMMENT RE UNITED STATES BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT REVIEW OF DESERT RENEWABLE ENERGY CONSERVATION PLAN LAND USE AMENDMENT The City of Palm Springs ("City") has reviewed the executive order signed by President Trump to reopen millions of acres of lands set aside for preservation and recreation under the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP), and is concerned that reopening the DRECP to amendment will cause extreme detriment to the desert ecosystems and communities protected by said plan. It is the duty of our City to ensure that the life of our current and future generations are protected from the adverse impacts on the desert ecosystems and community. Reopening the plan will destabilize the balance achieved between land uses and put the desert land at risk, creating uncertainty for all desert residents and users. The federal review of the DRECP threatens conservation lands, renewable energy zoning, and rural communities. DRECP went through a lengthy public process and was finalized in 2016. The DRECP is the result of eight years of planning involving 50 stakeholder groups and partners across the desert community. Careful consideration was given to ensure that a variety of concerns, including the Bureau of Land Management's compliance with process requirements, mining, recreational access, tribal consultation and mitigation policy were addressed and resolved prior to implementation. The effort to reopen the plan shows disrespect to hundreds of thousands of people who worked to achieve this plan. The DRECP protects the scenic, recreational and conservation values of California's incredible public lands, while minimizing risks to the renewable energy development process. Reopening the plan is a waste of taxpayer money and will result in confusion and costly litigation. The September 2016 DRECP and Land Use Plan Amendment Record of Decision should stand as is and there should be no further changes to the allocations of conservation, recreational or renewable energy designations in this comprehensive plan. The DRECP currently protects public lands in the desert for conservation, recreation, and public access that could be irrevocably lost if the plan is reopened. The City of Palm Springs has the obligation and duty to comment on this federal process. Additional renewable energy development on federal land will have an impact on the air quality, water resources, economic development, recreation and the physical health of the citizens of this world-class city. 04 ATTACHMENT B 05 State Lands N e v a c California Department of Fish am California Department of Parks a Independence - California State Lands Commissi . 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Diegoit t 1 aaa Calipatrra ■ CV SAN GORGONIO CHAPTER � I i 1 Regional Groups Serving Riverside and San Bernardino Coumies: Los Serranos, kJ T E RR Tahquitz,San Bernardino Mountains,Mojave,Moreno Valley,Big Bear i CLUP FOUNDED 189' I March 20,2018 City Council j City of Palm Springs 3200 E Tahquitz Canyon Way Palm Springs,CA 92262 BY EMAIL Re: Item 1. Q,Comment on the US BLM review of the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan ("DRECP) Land Use Amendment Mayor and Members of the Council: I am writing for the local Tahquitz Group of the Sierra Club,and also for the California/Nevada Desert Energy Committee of Sierra Club,to convey our support for your draft letter urging BLM to keep the DRECP intact and not to re-open it by amending it. Not only does DRECP ensure more than enough acreage to meet the State's current and future renewable energy goals,but also DRECP ensures that our desert public land's irreplaceable biological, archeological,scenic,recreational and economic resources are conserved for future generations. To re-open the DRECP now would be the ultimate folly, disastrous for the desert and detrimental to the orderly roll out of renewable energy. Thank you for speaking up on behalf of our desert. Very truly yours, i Joan Taylor, �G�� Chair,Tahquitz Group of the Sierra Club Chair, California/Nevada Desert Energy Committee of Sierra Club AMik*wI i _ ____ g1�118'