County releases draft Lithium Valley specific plan; opens public comment through March 25

Imperial County staff presented the draft Lithium Valley specific plan to the Board of Supervisors, describing the plan’s land‑use framework, guiding principles, phases and next steps and opening a public comment period through 5 p.m. Pacific on March 25, 2025.

The plan is presented as a comprehensive land‑use and implementation document covering an area the county stated as 51,622 acres and broken into three phases. County staff described Phase 1 as comprising 25,521 acres and said conservation accounts for 31.9% of the acreage in that phase. Key land‑use categories in the draft include green industrial, manufacturing, playa renewables, community opportunity areas, solar, logistics and conservation. County staff said the plan aims to support geothermal and mineral recovery operations, manufacturing and supply‑chain development tied to critical‑minerals processing and clean‑energy industries.

Why it matters: County officials framed the plan as the road map for local permitting and infrastructure needed to attract industry and to create an “upstream, midstream and downstream” economic ecosystem around clean energy and lithium‑related development. Staff highlighted workforce and economic development as primary goals tied to local job creation.

What staff described: County CEO Miguel Figueroa introduced the draft plan. Deputy CEO for Natural Resources Barry Beam summarized the plan content and the county’s outreach and funding: the plan document is organized into chapters on vision and guiding principles, land use and development standards, circulation and infrastructure, community health and prosperity, and implementation. Beam read the plan’s stated vision: “Lithium Valley is a dynamic and prosperous region that prioritizes public health and local jobs in innovative clean energy industries,” and said the county had conducted more than 600 engagements on the plan, with 71% of those engagements involving Imperial Valley residents.

Community engagement and funds: Beam said the county received SB 125 funds earmarked to support plan development and related outreach. He told the board the county allocated $800,000 for community‑based engagement; of that sum the county has distributed $531,618.93 from a 2023 County RFP to local organizations, citing award amounts in the meeting record (Comite Civico Del Valle — $207,289.22; Imperial Valley Equity and Justice — $148,246.04; Los Amigos — $70,803.67; Raisis — $70,200; and Imperial Valley LGBT Resource Center — $26,000). Beam said the county will issue a new 2025 RFP to distribute the remaining $188,381.07 for additional community engagement.

Implementation and next steps: Staff said a health assessment and a programmatic environmental impact report (EIR) are forthcoming, and that the draft specific plan and supporting materials are available on the county website and at the planning department. Written comments will be accepted until 5 p.m. PST on March 25, 2025; the county provided a QR code and paper copies at the meeting. Beam emphasized that the administration sees the county as the lead permitting agency for Lithium Valley and encouraged residents to review and provide input.

Board response and context: Board members asked clarifying questions about community‑engagement funding and the county’s process for allocating SB 125 funds; staff explained the funding source was Senate Bill 125 and that funds were distributed via county RFPs to community‑based organizations and to tribes with areas of significance.

The meeting record is the official source for the draft plan and for the full record of promotional materials and comments; staff directed members of the public to the county planning website for the draft and for instructions on submitting comments.