COMMISSION

is on BLM-administered lands. Thirteen State Parks lay within the planning area, including
Ocotillo Wells SVRA; Hungry Valley SVRA; and Eastern Kern County, Onyx Ranch SVRA.
The California Energy Commission, California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW),
United States Forest Service (USFS), and the BLM, also known as the Renewable Energy
Action Team or REAT, are the leading the monumental planning effort. Other state and
federal agencies actively participating include the California Public Utilities Commission, the
California State Lands Commission, California State Parks, the United States Department of
Defense, and the National Parks Service. Proposed alternative energy development siting
on public lands in California has the potential to affect access to and use of these lands for
recreation and other purposes. Active participation in this planning effort helps ensure that
State Parks’ interests are sustained through the planning and implementation period of the
DRECP, which extends to the year 2040.
The DRECP consists of several components:
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a BLM Land Use Plan Amendment (LUPA) in accordance with the Federal Land
Policy and Management Act;
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a Natural Community Conservation Plan (NCCP) to comply with the California
NCCP Act and the California Endangered Species Act; and
•§
a General Conservation Plan (GCP) to comply with the Federal Endangered
Species Act.
Each of these planning components requires extensive interagency involvement, public
outreach, review, and comment periods. The Draft DRECP and Environmental Impact
Report/Environmental Impact Statement was published in September 2014, with the public
review period ending in February 2015.
In March 2015, REAT announced a phased approach to completing the DRECP. Phase I
would consist of developing the BLM LUPA and associated Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS). These documents propose to “amend the California Desert Conservation
Area (CDCA) Plan as well as the Bishop and Bakersfield Resource Management Plans,
specifically related to natural resource conservation and renewable energy development”
(DRECP Proposed LUPA and Final EIS October 2015, I.0-1). The Proposed LUPA and Final
EIS were published on November 15, 2015, for public review and comment. State Parks
reviewed the LUPA and Final EIS and submitted substantial comments. On September
14, 2016, the BLM signed the Record of Decision approving the LUPA, which completed
Phase I of the DRECP.
Timing for Phase II of the DRECP has not been determined and will concentrate on
renewable energy development and resource conservation on nonfederal lands, including
State Park lands.
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California State Parks, Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission