Glass Butte Radio Station (DOE/EA-1996)

Lake County, Oregon

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) has decided to build a radio station on Glass Butte. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Prineville District Office has granted BPA a right-of-way for the facility. The project involves installation of a new radio tower, communications building, and digital communications equipment on a 0.5 acre site, acquisition of two new beam path easements, acquisition of access road rights, upgrades to the existing access roads, and installation of underground conduit for fiber and power services to the site. The Glass Butte facility will join BPA's existing Harney Substation to Pine Mountain Analog Radio Communications Spur Line, and will help with the replacement of aging analog communications equipment.

BPA's proposal required the BLM to amend its 1989 Brothers-La Pine Resource Management Plan (RMP). To understand the potential environmental impacts of the proposal, the BLM developed an environmental assessment (EA); BPA was a cooperating agency. Two alternatives were considered in the EA: to grant right-of-way on Glass Butte for BPA's proposed radio station facility, or not to grant right-of-way and continue with current practices. The EA describes anticipated impacts to natural and human resources and includes mitigation measures that would enable BPA to avoid or minimize impacts.

BLM released the EA for public comment on August 25, 2017; the comment period closed September 25, 2017. Two comments were received. BLM signed the final decision documents on April 30, 2018. More information is available at the BLM Prineville District website.

CURRENT STATUS

BPA issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) on February 21, 2019. Construction is scheduled to begin in Summer, 2019.

CONTACT

For environmental information, contact:
Doug Corkran         Toll-free: 800-622-4519
Environmental Protection Specialist Direct line: 503-230-7646
Bonneville Power Administration - ECT-4  Email: drcorkran@bpa.gov 
P.O. Box 3621
Portland, OR 97208-3621

For project information, contact:
Charley Majors Toll-free: 800-622-4519
Project Manager         Direct Line: 360-619-6683
Bonneville Power Administration - TEP-CSB-2 Email: vcmajors@bpa.gov 
P.O. Box 491
Vancouver, WA 98666

DOCUMENTS

BLM Public Letter (05/01/2018)
BLM Implementation Decision (04/30/2018)
BLM Implementation Map (04/30/2018)

FONSI
Public letter (03/15/2019)
FONSI and Mitigation Action Plan (02/21/2019)

EA
EA (08/25/2017)
Project Vicinity Map (06/24/2013)
Project Map (06/24/2013)