Woolsey cassidy
Managing Editor / Ag Proud – Idaho
Cassidy is a contributing editor to Progressive Cattle and Progressive Forage magazines.

Shortly after taking office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order halting the controversial Lava Ridge Wind Project. The proposal aimed to install over 200 wind turbines on public lands across Jerome, Lincoln and Minidoka counties.

The order stated the project “is allegedly contrary to the public interest and suffers from legal deficiencies” and directed the new interior secretary to review the final Bureau of Land Management (BLM) analysis and conduct any additional review or environmental impact studies as needed.

“I applaud President Trump’s decisive action to suspend the Lava Ridge Wind Project,” said Lt. Gov.Scott Bedke in a statement. “Stopping this massive project is a clear victory for Idahoans who do not support using our backyard, complete with all the negative impacts to our farmers, ranchers, infrastructure and resources, to fulfill California’s energy agenda.”

The executive order followed the BLM’s approval in December of a scaled-down version of the project. Despite the revisions, the project continued to face criticism from Idaho’s congressional delegation and local communities.

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Senator Jim Risch emphasized that stopping the Lava Ridge Wind Project was a top priority after Trump’s election. “I made a promise to Idahoans that I would not rest until the Lava Ridge Wind Project was terminated,” Risch said in a statement. “On day one, President Donald Trump took action to keep that promise.”