
The release of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement April 11th opened a 90-day comment period, ending July 10th. A series of public meetings in Arizona and New Mexico have been scheduled to solicit comments.
The Deming meeting will be this Wednesday, May 7th, from 5:30-8 p.m. in the Mimbres Valley Learning and Special Events Center, 2300 East Pine.
Southline Transmission, LLC, has proposed building a 360-mile line from near Las Cruces to Tucson.
The line would cross BLM-managed public land, state land and private property.
Southline indicates that the line would improve reliability of the electrical grid and help facilitate renewable energy markets in the region.
The proposed route would cross through Luna County just north of Deming. An alternate proposed route would cross far southern Luna County, just south of Columbus.
The Draft Environmental Impact Statement and maps showing the proposed routes can be viewed at www.blm.gov/nm/southline.