09/18/2026
Near Haiwee Reservoir, eight parcels totaling 23,085 acres (Ridgecrest Field Office) overlap four Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs) — Ayers Rock, Rose Spring, Mohave Ground Squirrel, and Sierra Canyons — including Rose Spring’s significant precontact archaeological site complex in the ancestral homelands of the Shoshone and Paiute peoples, as well as habitat for the federally threatened Mojave desert tortoise and the state-threatened Mohave ground squirrel. The BLM is reviewing this proposal through an Environmental Assessment (EA) and does not include a new public comment period.
In Hammil and Benton Valleys, four parcels totaling 8,614 acres (Bishop Field Office) are proposed through a lighter-weight “Determination of NEPA Adequacy” (DNA), meaning this proposal will not go through a new public comment period either. BLM’s own documents note that groundwater beneath the Hammil Valley parcels may be hydraulically connected to Fish Slough, roughly 11 miles south — a spring system supporting the federally endangered Owens pupfish and Owens tui chub, and two federally threatened plants. The Benton parcels lie near Benton Hot Springs and include proposed critical habitat for the Bi-State sage-grouse.
In both cases, BLM notes that lease issuance alone does not authorize any drilling or surface disturbance — that would require a separate, project-specific environmental review. Leases run an initial 10 years and can be extended for decades if a resource is developed.
Friends of the Inyo is continuing to review both proposals, including the protections BLM has built into each lease to safeguard water resources, wildlife habitat, and cultural sites going forward. Community members can review BLM’s documentation for the Haiwee Geothermal Lease Sale (DOI-BLM-CA-D050-2026-0016-EA) and the Bishop Field Office’s Determination of NEPA Adequacy (DOI-BLM-CA-C070-2026-0021-DNA) through the BLM National NEPA Register.
