DENVER — The National Wildlife Federation and more than 15,000 of its members urged the Bureau of Land Management to use a smart-from-the-start approach in developing solar energy on public lands to limit negative impacts to lands, waters, fish, wildlife, and cultural and Indigenous resources. Today marked the end of the first of several public comment periods for the agency’s plan to update rules that govern the implementation of utility-scale solar on Western public lands.

“We applaud the Bureau of Land Management for updating plans for solar development on public lands. We call on the agency to avoid and minimize threats to wildlife and cultural and Indigenous resources  and incentivize development in areas with minimal impacts to resources near existing or permitted transmission infrastructure,” said Bailey Brennan, public lands attorney at the National Wildlife Federation. “In addition, we ask that the agency meaningfully consult with Tribal and Indigenous Peoples to avoid development on lands of deep cultural and spiritual significance and with local communities to avoid negative health impacts from utility-scale development.”