Haiwee Geothermal Leasing Area

The United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared this Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Draft Proposed Amendment to the California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan to evaluate the feasibility and potential environmental impacts of opening for lease approximately 22,805 acres of federal mineral estate for geothermal energy exploration and development. This Draft EIS analyzes the potential impacts of opening public lands to geothermal leasing and potential development of federally-owned geothermal resources in the Haiwee Geothermal Leasing Area (HGLA) in southwestern Inyo County, California. The HGLA is located east of the Inyo National Forest, west of the China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station, South of the South Haiwee Reservoir, and north of Little Lake. The BLM has the delegated authority to issue geothermal leases on federal mineral estate; specifically these federal mineral resources administered by the BLM.