A Bureau of Land Management plan to designate specific federal lands across the West as suitable for utility-scale solar power development is being challenged by a coalition of conservation groups over impact to trails.
The administrative protest filed Monday said the updated Western Solar Plan unveiled last month fails to consider the potential impacts of large-scale solar development to national scenic and historic trails.
The administrative protest says the plan outlined in a final environmental impact statement violates the National Trails System Act “and agency policies related to that act.”
What’s more, BLM violated the National Environmental Policy Act by not properly evaluating potential impacts to the national trail system from encouraging solar applications within trail boundaries, the coalition, led by the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, said.
