BLM looks to cut solar energy program in southern Colorado

MONTE VISTA, Colo. (AP) — The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is looking to eliminate a solar development zone in southern Colorado.

The Pueblo Chieftain reports that the agency has proposed eliminating the 3,822-acre Four-Mile East Solar Energy Zone due to conflicts with cultural and natural resources in the area, which is located about 13 miles east of Alamosa.

The four solar energy zones in the San Luis Valley were created in 2012 as a way to streamline the review process for solar proposals. No solar plants have yet been built in the solar zones.

BLM Renewable Energy Project Manager Nancy Keohone says the agency received input from six Native American tribes with historical ties to the Four-Mile East zone. The agency also found the area was habitat for big game and migratory birds.

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Information from: The Pueblo Chieftain, http://www.chieftain.com