From The Pueblo Chieftain (Matt Hildner):
The agency, which administers the federal mineral estate, has started an analysis of what lands should be open to geothermal leasing and what conditions should govern the development, said Joe Vieira, project manager for the valley’s BLM office. There are no outstanding geothermal leases in the region, nor have there been any parcels nominated for leasing, but federal and state officials hope that will change…
Nine areas of the state have been identified as spots with the best potential, including the edges of the San Luis Basin, the Raton Basin west of Trinidad and Mount Princeton near Buena Vista…
The agency is seeking public comment on the kinds of leasing stipulations that should apply and what areas should be off limits to development. Restrictions could include no surface occupancy, controlled surface occupancy or timing limitations, in which developers are barred from any construction activity for a specific time frame. Areas that will be excluded from leasing include the National Park System, congressionally-dedicated wilderness areas and wilderness study areas.