On October 16, 2024, DOI announced that the Bureau of Land Management is investing $2.4 million of IRA funding to conduct a cultural landscape study and develop a predictive model for California and Arizona’s public lands. The cultural study will help guide the placement of clean energy projects. The Bureau will partner with DOE to carry out the study, which has conducted similar studies in Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah and to aid the development of impact assessments and mitigation strategies for renewable energy development in the western U.S. The study will incorporate traditional Indigenous knowledge.
IRA section 50303 appropriates funds for the Bureau of Land Management and other DOI offices to develop resources and engage stakeholders for the purpose of creating efficient and effective environmental reviews.