OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – The U.S. Department of Energy today announced a new process for future land use planning for the DOE’s 34,242-acre Oak Ridge Reservation. This effort will lead to the development of a comprehensive plan for land use that integrates the Department of Energy's missions with the economic and environmental goals of the community.

G. Leah Dever, Manager of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Oak Ridge Offices, said, "This is a new approach for land use planning that will incorporate DOE mission needs and will be open and inclusive to all stakeholders, local governments, and other organizations in the area. This will greatly expand the level of land use information available for future planning needs."

The new process, to be managed by the DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, involves an extensive review of the near- and long-term land requirements of DOE’s science, environmental management, and national security missions at the Oak Ridge facilities. Through this process, DOE will have a better understanding of the current and future land parcel needs of the local communities, as well as other regional and State objectives.

The final result of this process will be a document that will serve as a comprehensive land use planning tool effective over the next five to six years. The document will contain an extensive analysis of environmental and economic impacts of proposed land use actions by DOE. It will include a long-term vision (up to 20 years) of DOE’s future programmatic needs for the Oak Ridge Reservation.

An extensive public involvement process will be used through this effort. It will include a series of town hall public forums, establishment of a special focus stakeholder working group, and distribution of data and draft planning documents to the public.

DOE’s Oak Ridge Offices is responsible for major DOE programs in science, environmental management, and uranium programs and provides support to national security programs of the National Nuclear Security Administration.

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