Oregon Public Broadcasting

Two federal land agencies are accepting comments on proposed changes to the management of geothermal resources in the west.

The Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service received a Congressional mandate in 2005 to change the way land is made available for geothermal projects. 

As part of that mandate, the agencies have developed a draft plan to streamline the leasing process and also to make it more competitive.

Heather Feeney is a BLM spokeswoman.  She says technology advances and the increasing cost of energy have heightened interest in using  geothermal resources to generate electricity.

Heather Feeney: “The energy development particularly is this indirect use where instead of burning coal or gas or something else as the source of heat, to generate steam, you tap the steam that’s underneath the earth’s surface.”

In the Northwest, federal officials have identified several sites for potential geothermal development, including an area northeast of Mt. Hood, Newberry Crater in central Oregon, and some areas along the North Santiam River on the Willamette National Forest.

A public meeting on geothermal projects on federal land is scheduled Tuesday night at the Multnomah County library. The BLM and U.S. Forest Service are also accepting public comments by mail,  e-mail, and fax.