EVENT: Cat Creek Energy Public Hearing for Amending the Development Agreement with Elmore County

What It’s About?

Can you attend the public hearing at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, December 14, 2018, at the Elmore County Courthouse regarding the Development Agreement between Cat Creek Energy and “the people”?

The Elmore County Commissioners will accept public testimony regarding the possibility of giving Cat Creek Energy full control of a new domestic water source from the South Fork of the Boise River and Anderson Ranch Reservoir.

We don’t believe handing a Gooding County-based corporation the authority, responsibility, and control over Elmore County’s domestic drinking water is a good idea.

Documentation Regarding This Public Hearing

Currently, there are three documents directly related to this December 14, 201,8 public hearing. You can and should download/read the following.

#1. The Public Hearing Notice: “Dec 14, 2018, Public Hearing Notice – Cat Creek Energy Development Agreement” that can be viewed or downloaded HERE Dec 14, 2018 Public Hearing Notice - Cat Creek Energy Development Agreement or at the direct link found at http://catcreek-energy.com/download/731/

#2. Option #1 (blue document) First Amendment to Development Agreement – 14 Dec 2018 Hearing: It can be viewed or downloaded HERE OPTION #1-First Amendment to Development Agreement - For the Dec. 14, 2018 Hearing or at the direct link found at http://catcreek-energy.com/download/755/

#3. Option #2 (orange document) First Amendment to Development Agreement – 14 Dec 2018 Hearing can be viewed or downloaded HERE OPTION #2-First Amendment to Development Agreement - For the Dec. 14, 2018 Hearing or at the direct link found at http://catcreek-energy.com/download/758/

When and Where

1:30 p.m. On Friday, December 14, 2018, at the Elmore County Courthouse in Mountain Home, Idaho.

Address: 150 South 4 East, Mountain Home, ID 83647

Map Link: https://goo.gl/maps/W1vikDroruw

Take Action

We believe it is important the residents of Elmore County and anyone who loves our backcountry for it’s abundant recreational opportunities to tell the county commissioners you are opposed to the entire Cat Creek Energy project and you oppose the idea of allowing this corporation to control our future domestic water delivery system.

If you cannot attend this public hearing please call the two Elmore County Commissioners who will make the decision whether to allow the Cat Creek Energy project to move forward.

Commissioner Wes Wootan (208)599-3131

Commissioner Bud Corbus: (208) 599-1294

FYI: Commissioner Hofer has been recused from any decision making authority on the Cat Creek Energy project.

Anyone who wishes to testify, but is unable to attend the 1:30 p.m., Friday, December 14, 2018, hearing, may submit written testimony prior to the hearing by sending it to the:

Elmore County Land Use and Building Department
520 East 2nd South Street
Mountain Home, Idaho, 83647

An easy way to further help us is to share this post with your family, friends and co-workers.

Did You Know: The Proposed Power Infrastructure for Cat Creek Reservoir

The proposed powerhouse would house twelve 60 MW ternary turbines.
The powerhouse would also house additional pump facilities which would utilize the same penstocks feeding the turbine/generators to lift the stored water 840 feet from Anderson Ranch Reservoir for storage in the new Cat Creek Reservoir on Little Camas Prairie.
The penstocks would be six 14-16 ft diameter steel pipelines each 2,500 feet long.

Reference: Cat-Creek-Energy-FERC-Application-Nov2018.pdf at … Cat Creek Energy FERC Application - Nov 2018 or at the direct link at http://catcreek-energy.com/download/743/

14 Dec. 2018 Public Hearing to Amend the Cat Creek Energy Development Agreement

The Elmore County Commissioners have scheduled a public hearing in our county courthouse at 1:30 p.m. On Friday, December 14, 2018. The purpose of the hearing is to gather testimony regarding two possible amendment issues involving the development agreement between the county and Cat Creek Energy, LLC.

The complexity and unknowns involving this possible Cat Creek Energy mega-project continue to grow. And now the county commissioners and the Gooding, Idaho based corporation want to discuss amending a portion of an agreement they signed on February 9, 2018.

NOTE: Public testimony will be accepted at this hearing. We hope opponents of the Cat Creek Energy project will attend this meeting or provide written testimony prior to the hearing.

What are the Amendment Issue Options?

Officially, Elmore County indicates the two possibilities are:

1) Extend the period of time for Cat Creek Energy, LLC to enter into an agreement with Elmore County regarding the diversion and delivery of water

Or …

2) Amend the diversion and delivery of water for Elmore County.

More Information?

As of the publish date of this blog post/Facebook post, we don’t have the amendment wording that the commissioners and Cat Creek Energy will be discussing at this hearing.

Hopefully, Elmore County will release the proposed amendment wording early enough to allow our citizens time to read, research and craft an educated rebuttal.

Take Action Today

Even though we don’t have any information regarding how Cat Creek Energy would like to amend the diversion and delivery of water agreement from Anderson Ranch Reservoir to Little Camas Reservoir, we believe contacting your elected officials would be helpful.

You can call the two Elmore County Commissioners who will make the decision whether to allow the Cat Creek Energy project to move forward.

Commissioner Wes Wootan (208)599-3131

Commissioner Bud Corbus: (208) 599-1294

FYI: Commissioner Hofer has been recused from any decision making authority on the Cat Creek Energy project.

Anyone who wishes to testify, but is unable to attend the 1:30 p.m., Friday, December 14, 2018, hearing, may submit written testimony prior to the hearing by sending it to the:

Elmore County Land Use and Building Department
520 East 2nd South Street
Mountain Home, Idaho, 83647

You should also consider contacting other elected official listed on the webpage:

Mailing Addresses for Cat Creek Energy Issues

Reference: “Dec 14, 2018, Public Hearing Notice – Cat Creek Energy Development Agreement” that can be viewed or downloaded HERE Dec 14, 2018 Public Hearing Notice - Cat Creek Energy Development Agreement or at the direct link found at http://catcreek-energy.com/download/731/

“Transmission Lines Would Run From the Southern Shore” …

*What the Anderson Ranch Reservoir view might look like when the Cat Creek Energy project is finished.*

Elmore County’s own engineering study said this of the Cat Creek Energy project:

“Very limited information on the electrical line from the powerhouse to the
substation is presented. Voltage and construction information are absent. We surmise this line (34kV?) would run from the southern shoreline of Anderson Ranch Reservoir, ascend to the canyon rim through open forest habitat and then cross mixed grass land and shrub steppe to the substation. The line has the potential to cause a number of impacts to wildlife which would need to be addressed.”

In 2016, the Elmore County Planning and Zoning Board said the the vast majority of the project was “Not Compatible” with the surrounding environment when they denied Cat Creek Energy the permits to build a large-scale energy project in our backcountry.

Who hasn’t fished, boated, camped or driven along Anderson Ranch Reservoir? I can’t imaging anyone in Elmore County that hasn’t been along the shores of our finest body of water. This is what Cat Creek Energy considers “compatible” with the surroundings?

Take Action

Call, write to and/or email your government representatives and tell them you are opposed to the entire Cat Creek Energy project.

or, be bold and write a letter to:

Cat Creek Energy LLC
398 S. 9th St., Ste 240
Boise, ID 853701

List of addresses: http://catcreek-energy.com/mailing-addresses-for-cat-creek-energy-issues/

Reference: Attachment 2 found at Attachment 2 - Independent Review of the Cat Creek Energy Wildlife Management Plan

Can Cat Creek Energy be Trusted With Anderson Ranch Reservoir Water?

*Yikes! Cat Creek Energy – A Problem, Not a Solution!*

In a document published on Feb. 1, 2016, the Idaho Department of Fish & Game said the following of Cat Creek Energy’s plan to keep a new reservoir on Little Camas Prairie filled and functional with Anderson Ranch Reservoir and South Fork of the Boise River water:

“The rapid dewatering of ARR (Anderson Ranch Reservoir) in late summer/early fall already stall kokanee escapement into the SFBR until the mud flat delta stabilizes. Kokanee are vulnerable to predation and delayed during this time. It is likely a daily 2+ foot fluctuation will exacerbate this problem and potentially strand kokanee.”

Reference: See page 4 from this downloadable pdf document – Idaho Fish and Game on the Cat Creek Energy Project - Feb. 1, 2016

Stop the Cat Creek Energy Project (CCE) – Spread the Word

On October 20 & 21, 2018, we set up an information booth and spent the day at Carl Miller Park in Mountain Home, Idaho talking to the people who attended the 5th Annual Mountain Home Highland Games & World Fair.

Our goal was simple … Raise awareness about the Cat Creek Energy Project and how bad the project is for the residents of Elmore County.

*The Cat Creek Energy Project is bad for Elmore County*

What We Discovered – Many Locals Were Unaware of the CCE Project

A vast majority of the people who stopped by our booth were unaware that a corporation based in Gooding County wants to build a mega-energy project in our mountains just 21 miles from Mountain Home.

While we did talk with a few individuals who were from out-of-state, most of those who were interested in learning more about the ill-conceived project were from the Mountain Home area and knew nothing about the CCE Project. This means we have more work to do.

Video Highlighting Why Cat Creek is Bad for Elmore County

By The Numbers:

Booth Statistics – Number of Adults Interested in the Cat Creek Energy Project (CCE)

# of people who talked to us at the booth about the CCE Project: 104
# Opposed or Strongly Opposed to the CCE Project: 81
# who neither support nor oppose the CCE Project: 18
# who support the CCE Project: 5

Please help us stop the Cat Creek Energy Project. How? You can share a link to this website with your friends, co-workers, and neighbors, “like” our Facebook Page (@SBarRanch) and write to your federal, state and local government leaders. Tell them you are opposed to the entire project.

Get More Info at the Mountain Home Highland Games

Stop by and learn why we oppose the Cat Creek Energy Project

Help Stop the Cat Creek Energy Project

We’ll be at the Mountain Home Highland Games on Oct 20 & 21, 2018 to help answer questions about why we oppose the Cat Creek Energy project.

When: Oct 20 & 21, 2018

Where: Mountain Home’s Carl Miller Park

Address: 350 N 10th E St, Mountain Home, ID 83647

Map Link: https://goo.gl/maps/PY92WVAufTR2

Time: 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.

Please stop by our booth, sign our petition, watch a video, learn about this ill-conceived project and maybe throw a few Frisbees around.

More About the Highland Games: http://www.mountain-home.us/event/5th-annual-mountain-home-highland-games-and-light-weight-world-championship

Cat Creek Energy – A Problem, Not A Solution!

Camas Prairie, Elmore County, Idaho

Tag Archives: Water