The land-use non-profit Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition said the federal government is rushing the process to lease large swaths of ocean off the coast of Southern Oregon for offshore wind development.
Annie Merrill from the OSCC said the non-profit鈥檚 comments to the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management were largely dismissed in this week's final environmental assessment. But, she said those same comments were much better received during the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development鈥檚 review.
鈥淗onestly, DLCD had some really strong mitigation measures that they included in their concurrence letter, like a 1,000-foot buffer around sensitive benthic habitat for anchoring on the seafloor," she said.
The state of Oregon said that the federal government had to agree to 18 conditions to get their approval of this assessment. While the conditions aren't enforceable, the DLCD said that if BOEM didn't agree to the conditions, then the state would object to this environmental assessment, forcing BOEM to justify continuing without their approval.
Some of the other conditions include more engagement with the state, tribes, local communities and the fishing industry, according to the DLCD's review.
"The OCMP [Oregon Coastal Management Program] advises that if lessees are to succeed in bringing offshore wind projects to federal waters off Oregon, it is crucial for them and BOEM to immediately begin working closely with the state, local governments, affected communities, Tribes, and the scientific community toward the resolution of the many questions and concerns that have been identified throughout the BOEM siting process and this review," the agency said.
Merrill said as the companies building these offshore wind turbines figure out how to get their power onshore, the state will have more negotiating power as lines are routed through state-controlled lands.
