Planning board asks commissioners to seek BLM information on proposed transmission easement across public land

Planning-board members alerted the commissioners that an application for a major power-line easement crossing BLM land in Prairie County may have been submitted and said they had been unable to obtain firm details from BLM staff who were out of the office. Members asked the commission to formally request maps and timelines so the county can understand potential impacts.

"I'm very, very interested to know if you guys have been contacted by the BLM about a application for a major power line easement across public land in Prairie County," one planning-board member said, asking for a clearer notification path. County staff said they had called the district manager and that some BLM staff would return after the holiday; commissioners agreed the county should follow up officially to request information, maps and the projected schedule for any federal review.

Board members noted that federal permitting for solar and wind projects requires review in Washington, D.C., and that local notification can be delayed while federal staff compile materials. Commissioners and staff agreed to attempt to contact the BLM district manager and to track responses for a follow-up report to the commission.