The 2,700 acre Soda Mountian Solar Project would be built on BLM land adjacent to the Mojave National Preserve. The State of California has released a 1,300 page Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The project will essentially hurt local bighorn sheep populations. The project was rejected by San Bernardino County in 2016, but the California governor was not happy and turned jurisdiction over to the California Energy Commission – an elaborate rubber stamp agency.
Here is what they say about bighorn sheep:
“The proposed project would result in significant and unavoidable impacts to desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) individuals and their movement within and surrounding the project area. This species is designated as Fully Protected by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), pursuant to California Fish and Game Code Section 4700. Additionally, significant and unavoidable impacts would occur as a result of inconsistencies with applicable California Fish and Game Code sections that prohibit take of fully-protected species. Desert bighorn sheep in the Soda and Cady Mountains form a critical part of the Mojave Desert metapopulation and rely on intermountain movement corridors for gene flow, recolonization, and access to seasonal resources. While desert bighorn sheep are known to move within and around the project area, staff is concerned that these areas would be avoided during construction and operation due to increased human presence and limited site availability through the solar arrays. Additionally, the proposed project could compromise the use of the planned wildlife crossing being installed as part of the Brightline West High-Speed Rail Project, which is located within 1.25 miles of the project area and is designed to restore connectivity between desert bighorn sheep populations fragmented by I-15. Impacts that displace sheep, remove important foraging habitat, or result in mortality or decreased fitness would be considered significant and unavoidable.”
The Soda Mountain docket page is here: https://efiling.energy.ca.gov/Lists/DocketLog.aspx..
