PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public input on proposed exploratory drilling on approximately 13 acres of public lands within a 2,424-acre project area, south of Lone Pine in Inyo County. If approved, Mojave Precious Metals Inc. could search for mineral deposits, including gold, on public lands where they currently hold mining claims.

Mojave Precious Metals Inc. proposes to modify its existing, approved plan of operations to drill 120 exploratory bore holes at up to 30 locations. Proposed drilling would aim to gather data on known areas of minerals. The plan modification includes work such as access road reconstruction, drill pad and sump construction, and other related activities.

The proposed project supports DOI Secretarial Order 3418 – Unleashing American Energy, by encouraging exploration and production on federal lands to meet the needs of American citizens. The proposed area is designated as open to mineral exploration.

The Bureau of Land Management will hold an in-person public meeting on Tuesday, June 10, 5–7 p.m. at Statham Town Hall, 138 N. Jackson St., Lone Pine, CA 93545. BLM staff will be available during the meeting to discuss the alternatives and analysis and answer any questions.

A Notice of Availability will publish in tomorrow’s Federal Register to open a 45-day comment period. Additional information is available at the BLM National NEPA Register, where comment may be submitted through the ‘Participate Now’ option (preferred). Comments may also be submitted via email to BLM_CA_RI_MojavePMetals@blm.gov, or delivered to the BLM Ridgecrest Field Office, ATTN: Mojave Exploration Drilling Project, 300 S. Richmond Road, Ridgecrest, CA 93555. The public comment period closes June 16, 2025.

For more information, please contact BLM Ridgecrest Field Manager Philip DeSenze at BLM_CA_RI_MojavePMetals@blm.gov.

NEEDLES, Calif. – The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comments on a draft environmental assessment for a proposed access road and associated facilities on about six public acres adjacent to the existing Chubbuck Mine in San Bernardino County.

If approved, Braavos LLC would be authorized to improve an existing access road and construct, operate, and maintain a belt conveyor system, modular office, and rail loadout facility to transport raw materials from the limestone mine to market.

Additional information is available at the BLM National NEPA Register, where comments may be submitted through the “Participate Now” option (preferred); comments may also be emailed to BLM_CA_NE_REALTY@blm.gov or delivered to: Needles Field Office, Attn: Chubbuck Mine ROW Project, 1303 US-95, Needles, CA 92363. The comment period will close March 21, 2025.

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Administrative Law

In ‘power move’ over independent agencies, Trump demands review of proposed regulations

By Debra Cassens Weiss

February 21, 2025, 9:47 am CST

President Donald Trump issued an executive order Tuesday that requires all agencies to submit proposed regulations to the White House for review, with no carve-out for independent agencies.

The Feb. 18 executive order applies to “so-called independent agencies,” such as the Federal Trade Commission. the Federal Communications Commission, and the Securities and Exchange Commission, according to a White House fact sheet. The only agency not fully included in the mandate is the Federal Reserve, which still has the power to make decisions about monetary policy.

The order also gives the Office of Management and Budget the power to adjust funding for the agencies based on presidential priorities. It also states that a president and the U.S. attorney general will interpret the law for the agencies.

Law.com, Law360 and the New York Times have stories.

“This is a power move over independent agencies, a structure of administration that Congress has used for various functions going back to the 1880s,” said Peter M. Shane, a legal scholar in residence at the New York University School of Law, in an interview with the New York Times.

According to the New York Times, the executive order and Trump’s firings of independent agency leaders “constitute a major front in the president’s assault on the basic shape of the American government and his effort to seize some of Congress’ constitutional power over it.”

Write a letter to the editor, share a story tip or update, or report an error.

NEEDLES, Calif. – The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comments on a draft environmental assessment for a proposed access road and associated facilities on about six public acres adjacent to the existing Chubbuck Mine in San Bernardino County.

If approved, Braavos LLC would be authorized to improve an existing access road and construct, operate, and maintain a belt conveyor system, modular office, and rail loadout facility to transport raw materials from the limestone mine to market.

Additional information is available at the BLM National NEPA Register, where comments may be submitted through the “Participate Now” option (preferred); comments may also be emailed to BLM_CA_NE_REALTY@blm.gov or delivered to: Needles Field Office, Attn: Chubbuck Mine ROW Project, 1303 US-95, Needles, CA 92363. The comment period will close March 21, 2025.

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comment on the draft environmental assessment for a proposed clean energy project on private lands and approximately 40 acres of public lands in eastern Riverside County. If approved, the Sapphire project could generate and store up to 117 megawatts of solar energy and deliver clean electricity to the statewide transmission grid. 

EDF Renewables Development, Inc., proposes to construct, operate, maintain, and eventually decommission a solar photovoltaic electricity facility including solar panels, battery energy storage, and other facilities on mostly private lands. 

“The Bureau of Land Management welcomes public feedback for the Sapphire Solar project to ensure responsible clean energy development in the California desert,” said California Desert District Manager Shelly Lynch. “If approved, this project would contribute to California’s renewable energy portfolio and the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of a carbon-pollution free energy economy.” 

The public lands within the project site are designated as Development Focus Area lands in the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan, a landscape-level plan that streamlines renewable energy development while conserving unique and valuable desert ecosystems and providing outdoor recreation opportunities. The Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan covers 10.8 million acres of public lands in the desert regions of seven California counties – Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego. 

The BLM will hold an in-person public meeting on October 23, at 5:30 p.m. at Lake Tamarisk Golf Course Clubhouse, 26250 Parkview Drive Desert Center, CA 92239. The public can also attend a separate virtual public meeting that will be held via Zoom on October 24, at 5:30 p.m. by registering in advance.  

Written comments may be submitted through the “Participate Now” function on the BLM National NEPA Register (preferred), emailed to blm_ca_pssc_sapphire@blm.gov, or delivered to the Palm Springs – South Coast Field Office (Attn: Sapphire Project), 1201 Bird Center Drive, Palm Springs, CA 92262. The public comment period closes November 4, 2024. 

As of September 2024, the Biden-Harris administration has approved 41 renewable energy projects on public lands (10 solar, 13 geothermal, and 18 gen-ties) and exceeded the goal to permit 25 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2025. In total, the BLM has now permitted clean energy projects on public lands with a total capacity of approximately 29 gigawatts of power – enough to power over 12 million homes. This year, the BLM also issued a final Renewable Energy Rule that will lower consumer energy costs and the cost of developing solar and wind projects, improve project application processes, and incentivize developers to continue responsibly developing solar and wind projects on public lands.  

For additional information, please contact Matt Toedtli, project manager, 760-833-7153. 

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Access to Justice

Nonlawyer entities could provide legal services in Washington in proposed pilot program

By Debra Cassens Weiss

September 11, 2024, 2:36 pm CDT

Nonlawyer-owned entities would be allowed to deliver legal services in Washington under a pilot program proposed by the Washington State Bar Association and a board created by the Washington Supreme Court.

If the Washington Supreme Court gives its approval, nonlawyer entities with innovative business models could apply to offer legal services temporarily under an exemption to rules banning the unlicensed practice of law, according to a summary on the Washington State Bar Association’s website.

Law360 has a story on the program.

“Our data tells us that our current business models aren’t meeting the needs of all of the people in our community,” Terra Nevitt, executive director of the Washington State Bar Association, told Law360. “That tells me we need to innovate the models, and if our regulations are getting in the way, I think it’s worth testing them.”

The participating entities would have to follow ethical rules and provide information about their delivery of legal services to the public. At the end of the pilot test, the Washington Supreme Court could assess the results and decide whether to make regulatory reform more permanent.

The Washington State Bar Association and the Washington Supreme Court’s Practice of Law Board would oversee the pilot program.

“The proposed pilot test is the beginning of a process, not the end,” according to the State Bar of Washington’s website. “The goal is to learn more and make transparent, data-driven decisions before any permanent regulatory reform is put in place.”

The proposal follows adoption of programs to allow nonlawyer-owned legal businesses in Utah and Arizona.

The Utah Supreme Court approved a pilot program in August 2020 that allows temporary nonlawyer ownership or investment in law firms by entities operating in a “regulatory sandbox.” That same month and year, the Arizona Supreme Court eliminated an ethics rule barring nonlawyers from having an economic interest in firms and preventing lawyers from sharing fees with nonlawyers.

Law360 listed some of the programs implemented in Utah and Arizona. They include “one-stop-shops” that hire lawyers and other professionals, such as professional advisers.

Hello Divorce, an online platform, uses attorneys to help explain divorce steps. ZAF Legal, a legal tech company, has launched a chatbot that helps people who have been injured in accidents determine whether they have a case. Rasa Legal, an app that helps eligible people with criminal records and the expungement process, has software that helps those who want to know whether their criminal records can be expunged.

Nevitt told Law360 that Washington benefits from not being the first state to allow nonlawyer-owned legal entities.

“We’re just so grateful that they’ve laid the groundwork, so that we can learn from their experiences, and that’s what we’ve tried to do,” Nevitt said.

See also:

When it comes to deregulation of the legal industry, divisions run deep

Following decades of discourse on nonlawyer legal services, questions of motives continue

Washington Supreme Court sunsets limited license program for nonlawyers

How the Washington Supreme Court’s LLLT program met its demise

Updated Sept. 13, 2024.

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public input on the draft environmental assessment and land use plan amendment for the proposed Morongo Canyon Highway 62 Multi-Tenant Wireless Broadband Communications Site project in San Bernardino County. If approved, the project would improve telecommunication and broadband connections for Morongo and Yucca valley communities.

The applicant, InterConnect Towers LLC, proposes to construct, operate, and maintain a broadband communication site with an access road and ancillary facilities on just over two acres of public lands in Morongo Valley in southeastern San Bernardino County.

“The BLM will consider potential site-specific effects the proposed communication site may have on visual resources,” said California Desert District Manager Shelly Lynch. “We want to hear from the community on this project.”

The BLM, as the lead federal agency for National Environmental Policy Act review, drafted an environmental assessment that considers scoping comments, issues, planning criteria, potential effects, alternatives, and mitigation measures.

Implementation of the proposal would require a BLM decision to amend the California Desert Conservation Area Plan, as amended by the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Area Plan, to modify the proposed action area visual resource objectives from retaining the existing character of the landscape to partially retaining the existing character of the landscape.

The BLM will hold an in-person public meeting with a virtual option on Thursday, Sept.5 at 5:30 p.m., at the Community Services District Multipurpose Room in Covington Park, located at 11165 Vale Drive in Morongo Valley, CA 92256.  Advance registration is required to attend virtually. The public comment period will close Oct. 7. (updated 09/13/2024)

Public comments may be submitted through the “Participate Now” function on the BLM National NEPA Register (preferred); emailed to blm_ca_ps_morongocommunicationsite@blm.gov; or delivered to “Morongo Communication Site Project EA,” Attn: Matt Toedtli, Project Manager, Bureau of Land Management, California Desert District Office, 1201 Bird Center Drive in Palm Springs, CA 92262.

For additional information, please email: blm_ca_ps_morongocommunicationsite@blm.gov.

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. –  The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comment on the draft environmental assessment for the proposed Easley Solar project in Riverside County. If approved, the project could generate up to 400 megawatts of solar energy and 650 megawatts of battery storage capacity, delivering clean renewable electricity to the statewide transmission grid. The comment period will close September 20.

IP Easley, a subsidiary of Intersect Power LLC, proposes to construct, operate, maintain, and eventually decommission the Easley Renewable Energy project on approximately 2,700 acres of BLM-managed public lands and 990 acres of private lands.

The proposed project aligns with President Biden’s goal of a carbon free electricity sector by 2035 that creates good-paying jobs while ensuring that consumers across the country have access to affordable, reliable electric power.

The BLM will hold a virtual meeting on Tues., Sept. 10, from 5-6 p.m. Please register to attend virtually. A separate in-person public meeting will be held on Wed., Sept. 11, from 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. at the Palm Springs Field Office, 1201 Bird Center Dr., Palm Springs, CA 92262.

“The public comment period is an essential step in the environmental analysis process,” said California Desert District Manager Shelly Lynch. “Public participation helps BLM identify issues and concerns to address in the environmental assessment. We highly encourage the public to share their perspectives about the proposed project.”

Written comments may be submitted through the “Participate Now” function on the BLM National NEPA Register (preferred), emailed to blm_ca_cdd_easley_solar@blm.gov, or delivered to the Palm Springs – South Coast Field Office at 1201 Bird Center Drive, Palm Springs, CA 92262.

The proposed Easley Solar Project would be constructed on BLM land designated as a development focus area in the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan, a landscape-level plan that streamlines renewable energy development while conserving unique and valuable desert ecosystems and providing outdoor recreation opportunities. The Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan is focused on 10.8 million acres of public lands in the desert regions of seven California counties – Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego.

Recently, the Department of the Interior announced that BLM had achieved the major milestone of permitting 25 gigawatts of clean energy projects, including solar, wind, geothermal, and gen-ties (transmission lines that cross public lands to connect renewable energy projects on private lands to the grid). BLM currently has 60 proposed renewable energy projects on public lands in the western United States, which have the combined potential to add more than 21,800 megawatts of renewable energy to the western electric grid.

BLM manages vast stretches of public lands with the potential to make significant contributions to the nation’s renewable energy portfolio and provides sites for environmentally sound renewable energy projects. Efficient deployment of renewable energy from our nation’s public lands is crucial in achieving the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035.

For additional information on the Easley Solar project, please contact the Tammy Faust, project manager at 505-427-6759.

BARSTOW, CA. – The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comment on a proposed land sale of approximately 30 acres of public lands located in San Bernardino County to Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway. The Notice of Realty Action will publish in the Federal Register on Wednesday, August 28, to begin a public comment period that will close Oct. 15. 

Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway has proposed to use the land for the Barstow International Gateway project, an approximately 4,500-acre integrated rail facility that would transfer goods from international to domestic containers. The proposed project would result in a more than $1.5 billion investment in the community, potentially creating more than 20,000 new jobs and helping to address logistics and supply chain issues. If approved, the Barstow International Gateway project is expected to also help reduce freeway congestion around the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

The public land proposed for sale is suitable for private sale since it is surrounded by private lands and provides no public access. As such, there would be no impacts to public land access or recreation. If approved, the public lands would be sold to Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway at fair market value.

Anyone interested reviewing the environmental assessment, the appraisal, or maps, may visit the BLM National NEPA Register, or visit the BLM Barstow Field Office, 2601 Barstow Road in Barstow, CA 92311, during business hours 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., five days a week, excluding federal holidays. The public may contact the office at 760-252-6000 to make visitation arrangements.

Written comments should be sent to Bureau of Land Management, Barstow Field Office, ATTN: Tim McCain, 2601 Barstow Road in Barstow, CA 92311, or sent by email to tmccain@blm.gov.   

For additional information, contact Tim McCain, Realty Specialist, at tmccain@blm.gov.

WASHINGTON — The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) today announced its proposed roadmap for solar energy development on public lands, designed to expand efficient and environmentally responsible solar project permitting on public lands across the West. Today’s release of the Final Utility-Scale Solar Energy Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement and Proposed Resource Management Plan Amendments (also known as the proposed updated Western Solar Plan), comes as the Biden-Harris administration releases new data to demonstrate how it has improved federal permitting processes to help deliver more projects, more efficiently, across the United States.

The proposed Western Solar Plan builds on President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, which is working to transition the nation to clean energy, lower energy costs for consumers, create good-paying union jobs, tackle the climate crisis, and advance clean air and environmental justice priorities, with the goal of achieving a 100-percent clean electricity grid by 2035. Earlier this year, BLM surpassed the goal of permitting more than 25 gigawatts of clean energy projects on public lands, and the updated Western Solar Plan will support continued progress on responsible permitting. 

“The updated Western Solar Plan will help build modern, resilient energy infrastructure that creates a strong clean energy economy and protects our communities from the worsening impacts of climate change,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management Dr. Steve Feldgus. “Through extensive planning and collaboration, we’re not only protecting our public lands but also ensuring that permitting for solar projects moves faster and more efficiently, avoiding conflicts and striking the right balance as we advance clean energy and safeguard the environment.”

Developed with substantial public input, the proposed updated Western Solar Plan will guide BLM’s management of solar energy proposals and projects on public lands. It would make over 31 million acres of public lands across 11 western states available for potential solar development, driving development closer to transmission lines or on previously disturbed lands and avoiding protected lands, sensitive cultural resources and important wildlife habitat.

Steering project proposals away from areas where they may conflict with other resources or uses will help ensure responsible development, speed the permitting process, and provide greater predictability to the solar energy industry. The plan updates and expands the original 2012 Western Solar Plan in order to reflect changes in technology and meet the higher demand for solar energy development. This plan analyzes five additional western states (Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming), in addition to the six states analyzed in the original plan.

“The updated Western Solar Plan is a responsible, pragmatic strategy for developing solar energy on our nation’s public lands that supports national clean energy goals and long-term national energy security,” said BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning. “It will drive responsible solar development to locations with fewer potential conflicts while helping the nation transition to a clean energy economy, furthering the BLM’s mission to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.” 

No solar developments are authorized through this planning effort; proposed projects will still undergo site-specific environmental review and public comment. This Final Utility-Scale Solar Energy Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement follows a draft published in January 2024 for public comment, with input from a wide range of stakeholders helping BLM to make additional updates that will help protect wildlife habitats and migration corridors and other key resources, while providing clarity to industry about low-conflict areas and project design approaches to guide responsible development.

To date, the Biden-Harris administration has approved 40 renewable energy projects on public lands (9 solar, 13 geothermal, and 18 gen-ties) allowing for early achievement of the goal to permit 25 gigawatts by 2025. In total, BLM has now permitted clean energy projects on public lands with a total capacity of approximately 29 gigawatts of power – enough to power over 12 million homes. This year BLM also issued a final Renewable Energy Rule that will lower consumer energy costs and the cost of developing solar and wind projects, improve project application processes, and incentivize developers to continue responsibly developing solar and wind projects on public lands.

Publication of the Final Utility-Scale Solar Energy Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement and Proposed Resource Management Plan Amendments initiates a 30-day protest period and 60-day governor’s consistency review. Following resolution of any remaining issues identified in this phase, the BLM will publish the Record of Decision and Final Resource Management Plan Amendments.

For more information on the updated Western Solar Plan, visit the project’s National NEPA Project Register (ePlanning) website at https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2022371/510.