General Public Lands

General Public Lands (or unallocated lands) are BLM-administered lands within the DRECP planning area that do not have a specific land allocation or designation (i.e., DFA, ACEC, or SRMA). These areas are open to renewable energy applications but do not benefit from the renewable energy streamlining or incentives.

Areas in the DRECP where renewable energy development may be considered, but a plan amendment would be necessary for project approval:

• 419,000 acres of General Public Lands (referred to as “Unallocated Lands” in the Proposed LUPA and Final EIS)
• 35,000 acres of ERMA (not overlaid by a conservation allocation)

These areas are not identified as DFA, VPL, California Desert National Conservation Lands, ACEC, SRMA, or ERMA in the DRECP ROD. The DRECP ROD leaves these areas open to renewable energy development if applicants can show that the project to be developed is consistent with the conservation and management actions (CMAs), and does not negatively impact the overall biological conservation strategy, renewable energy or recreation design of the DRECP.