BDD Construction

FEIS & ROD

Every aspect of the Buckman Direct Diversion (BDD) project comes with its own permitting process. It’s a mountain of research, communication and paperwork designed to ensure that people, animals, plants, air, water and quality of life are protected now and in the future.
The two most important permits for the project are the Final Environmental Impact Statement, or FEIS, and the Record of Decision process, or ROD. These FEIS and ROD are issued by the two “lead” federal agencies on whose land the BDD will be built and operated – the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.

Click here to download a copy of the FEIS which was issued in May 2007.

Click here to download a copy of the ROD. The Notice of Availability for the ROD was published in the Federal Register in February 2008.

Update: An appeal to the ROD was made to both the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, the two lead agencies for the FEIS and the ROD. The U.S. Forest service affirmed its Record of Decision, indicating the issues raised in the appeal had already been sufficiently addressed in the Record of Decision. For further information, click here to see the BDD’s response to the U.S. Forest Service regarding the appeal, click here to see the U.S. Forest Service’s response and click here to see the U.S. Forest Service’s official recommendation.

A timeline for these two important permits is listed below:

2/20/2002	Effective date of NEPA MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) between U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Bureau of Land Management as lead agencies; the Bureau of Reclamation as cooperating agency; the City of Santa Fe, and Santa Fe County as cooperating agencies and applicants, and Las Campanas as applicant.
7/22/2002	Federal Register publication of Notice of Intent to prepare the EIS (Environmental Impact Statement)
8/2002 – 10/2002	Public scoping process (meetings and consultations)
12/17/2004	Notice of Availability (NOA) of Draft Environmental Impact Statement published in Federal Register
7/7/2005	U.S. Forest Service communicates to applicants that Endangered Species Act consultation is required with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
10/2006	U.S. Forest Service completes draft report for consultation with U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) and transmits it to USFWS
2/2007	Biological Assessment completed and submitted to USFWS
3/2007	USFWS accepts Biological Assessment and initiates formal consultation
4/18/2007	U.S. Forest Service provides printed copies of Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) to applicants
5/10/2007	Notice of Availability of Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) is published in Federal Register
6/2007	Bureau of Land Management comment period regarding FEIS ends
2/11/2008	Notice of Availability of Record of Decision is published in Federal Register
3/2008	Several groups appeal Record of Decision and Final Environmental Impact Statement to U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Department of the Interior (which has jurisdiction over Bureau of Land Management).
4/2008	U.S. Forest Service Affirms Record of Decision
7/2008	U.S. Department of the Interior rejects appeal and upholds Record of Decision and Final Environmental Impact Statement.