Study Area Lands on BLM Land. Special Analysis Areas are an interim category used in certain DRECP alternatives to represent areas subject to ongoing analysis to inform the designation that is expected to be made for the areas prior to agency decisions on the DRECP. The SAAs are known to have high value for renewable energy development and high value for ecological and cultural conservation, and recreation.
Future Assessment Areas are areas designated in certain action alternatives that are subject to future assessment for suitability for renewable energy development or conservation designation. The knowledge about the value of these areas for renewable energy development is ambiguous. The current known value of these areas for ecological conservation is moderate to low; therefore, the areas are not allocated to either development or conservation and are assigned to future assessment and decisions.
DRECP Variance Lands are areas identified in certain DRECP action alternatives that represent portions of the BLM Solar Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) Variance Lands and other BLM lands identified through the LUPA as screened for the DRECP using BLM DRECP screening criteria (Section II.3.2.1.2), and identified Future Assessment Areas (FAAs). These lands are potentially available for renewable energy development, but projects on variance lands are not covered in the DRECP.
This dataset was derived from the original DRECP integrative alternatives provided by Dudek. The geometry was simplified slightly in order to improve online performance. The integrated alternative shapefiles represent the proposed Plan-wide action alternatives, as described in Volume II of the Public Draft DRECP (2014). The original DRECP integrated alternative shapefiles can be downloaded directly from the DRECP website at the following URL: http://www.drecp.org/draftdrecp/files/GIS/