The federal government has issued a draft plan proposing 6,000 miles of energy corridors cutting through eleven western states. Ranging in width from two-thirds of a mile up to five miles, these huge swaths will fragment habitat, degrade recreation opportunities, and otherwise mar our public lands. Tell the government to reroute their proposal to avoid special wild places, and take other steps to do the job right.
Take Action Now! [Deadline for acting has expired.]
The West-wide Energy Corridor Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (DPEIS) proposes routes to accommodate development of new power lines, multiple pipelines (such as for oil, gas, or hydrogen), and infrastructure like roads, compressors, and pumping stations that will traverse hundreds of thousands of acres of public land, including proposed wilderness, national recreation areas, monuments, wildlife refuges, and more. Carving massive corridors out of the landscape will have significant impacts to wildlife habitat, cultural resources, recreation opportunities, and other resources on federal lands across the West. Once designated, the proposed corridors will run 6,000 miles and consume almost 3 million acres of public lands.
The biggest problems with the proposed corridors is that they run immediately adjacent to or directly through many natural treasures and wild places, and the construction projects will be expedited with limited environmental review. The impact of this development will be dramatic, given that as many as 35 liquid petroleum pipelines, up to 29 natural gas pipelines, or about nine individual 500-kv transmission lines could be supported within a single 3,500-foot-wide corridor.
Public involvement in the planning process is crucial to ensure that the designation of these corridors is not disastrous for our public lands. Please take action today to submit your comments in defense of wild places. If you live in a western state or near Washington DC, attend one of a series of public meetings to speak out in person.
