Wind Mills

It seems wind mills may be coming to the top of Allegheny Mountain on the Virginia side. Do you feel this is a concern for: 1. the wv side view shed 2. wv wild life 3. property values
4 impact on civil war battlefield.

which leads me to ask at what point is progress no longer progress

So is it too complex a problem to solve? Do you just sit back and watch someone else make the moves or do we take the reins? I humbly suggest we review our core values at the same time we look at progress

Deterioration within the economy will adversely affect the hospitality industry as well so my gut feeling is that tourism will remain shaky at best with a general down slide.The sad fact is that whomever has the most money will call the shots on initiating any alternative energy schemes. The reins are costly so most don't ride.

always remember the cost at the end of the day. is the creation of a few short term jobs worth the crippling assault on our tourist economy? and once you ruin things its impossible to get it back.

I think "been here" makes an excellent observation. It has to do with what we used to do and be, and how later generations perceive these past activities - or even fail to perceive them. Today for example, we remember and cherish our logging history, yet by all measurements of impact to the environment it was catastrophic; to the prosperity of the economy wondrous. At least for a time.

Through a softened lens of time, we are right and good to remember and cherish our past. We are also charged with the responsibility to understand our past's good and bad aspects. So that we can find and make a future where the "good" happens without silently or intentionally letting the "bad" occur, again, as well.

The great and tragic things of days gone become who we are as a people and a community. And we are a very special community. However, as land continues to divide, it continues to shrink, and the families and blood that are the fabric of this community become smaller, more diminished and fragmented.

So to the degree that things such as wind mills, luxury homes, sewer plants, etc. contribute to this fragmentation, I hope we can understand the "bad" therein.

DF

Daily News Record www.dnronline.com
Friday January 25,2008
By Hannah Northey

Turbines Must Deal with The Birds and the Bats
Concerns Raised for Species Welfare

The environmental impact of Virginia's first wind farm in Highland County could shed light on how successful such farms will be in the Valley, state officials say.
State agencies, led by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, will monitor the Highland New Wind Development LLC's 20 wind turbines to see how federally protected bats and birds are affected.
Biologists are concerned that inland wind farms on the East Coast could kill large numbers of common bats,and possibly affect the federally protected Indiana bat and Virginia big-eared bat,according to the State Corporation Commission.
The Commission approved the Highland County project this week but required the developers to study its impact on the animals.
"We still have no experience in Virginia," said Ken Schrad, an SCC spokesman. "The Highland project, with its monitoring and mitigation program, will provide that experience for future projects."
Research in Highland County could reveal information on how and when bats are killed at the sites, and offer ways to prevent future deaths, said Richard Reynolds, a game department wildlife biologist.
"It looks as though any facility in the East will have high bat fatalities," Reynolds said. "The concern is that if we build thousands of turbines to provide renewable energy,[and] if we don't do something to minimize these impacts, they could have a significant negative impact on bats."
Not Enough Research

The U.S. Department of the Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service has seen more applications for wind farms from developers who want to get permitted in a shorter amount of time, said Thomas Chapman, a field supervisor with the department.
While the agency supports renewable clean energy, state and federal officials are concerned for species like the endangered Indiana bat, Virginia big-eared bat, federally protected bald and golden eagles, and the West Virginia northern flying squirrel.
"We've identified some fairly serious concerns as far as building [wind farms] in certain locations," he said.
This month, those worries led to the departments opposition of another wind farm proposed by an unnamed developer in Rockingham County in Virginia, and Pendleton and Hardy counties in West Virginia. The farm would cover large swaths of habitat for two endangered bats and the bald and golden eagles, as well as land in the George Washington National Forest.
The Fish and Wildlife Service recommended the unnamed developers voluntarily apply for an "incidental take permit" and a Habitat Conservation Plan, if they decide to move ahead with the project. The plans offset harmful effects the project might have on the species, and the permits authorize the "incidental[killing,harming or harrassing] of federally listed species", according to the Fish and Wildlife Service.
Although the SCC approved the Highland County project, its developers have not applied for an incidental take permit or developed a conservation plan, said John Flora, the attorney representing the project. The Highland County developers, Flora said, may pursue a conservation plan and incidental take permit in the future.

Learning from Highland

Biologists aren't sure how bats and birds in Virginia would be affected because no wind farm has yet been built in the state, Reynolds said.
High bat mortality, however, has been observed at wind farms in Pennsylvania, Tennessee, New York, West Virginia and Canada, he said, indicating a risk.
At the Highland site, biologists will study bat activity in relation to climate conditions such as wind, weather and temperature, to identify when most bats are killed, he said.
For example, Reynolds said, most bats have been killed at wind farms during fall migration. During this time, biologists may slow down the turbines to protect the bats, he said.
"That will hopefully minimize fatalities to the bats and operational adjustments a facility would have to make," Reynolds said.
Students from James Madison University's College of Integrated Science and Technology may also work with state agencies to conduct research, Flora said.
Without more research, Chapman said, common species of bats could be threatened in the future.
"As more of these facilities are built across the landscape, more of the common species may be at risk and more of those bats [could be] federally listed," he said.

Commercial wind farms in our region are problematic as has been stated.

However, one should consider personal wind generation if in a good location. For example, Carol Warren generates considerable power for her home on Point Mountain with wind.

A friend of mine in Houston, Texas is working with a consortium to manufacture vertical-axis wind turbines. They look sort of like a DNA double helix molecule, are about 20 feet high, are silent, do not chew up birds or bats, and can begin generating power at lower mph wind speed, and of course pick up wind at any direction. Costs about $25,000, and at an average 18mph wind speed would come in at 9 cents/kwh. Maybe a bit pricey, but then fossil fuels are subsidized and externalize costs such as pollution and climate change. Anyway, new wind technologies for personal use and for businesses should be coming on line.

The fact that most folks living in Pocahontas County live in low altitudes somewhat sheltered from wind might make for fewere personal wind systems than say for folks living out on the western plains.

Wind Energy Proposed Directives
Director, Lands Staff
4th Floor South
USDA Forest Service
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Mailstop 1124
Washington, DC 20250

$250 Million wind farm with up to 65 turbines proposed near Elkins:

www.wvgazette.com/News/200802130768

I guess they're a lot of people who don't like the looks of these mills, I really have no opinion either way as far as the looks go. I do know that we as a country need to be using cleaner fuels and power sources. Maybe this is the best avenue, maybe not, but it is something to be carefully considered as it cuts down greatly in pollution.
Water mills were used year ago to make power and people today like to visit the few existing water mills as they are a neat part of history. There are numerous water ways in WV that could easily substain a water mill with out being an eye sore or disturbing the water or fishing.
People have used water mills to make power for their homes just as they have used wind mills.
I think there are a lot more options available now and more becoming available in the near future, so it would be wise to study all before settling in on just one style.
They're are plenty of wind mills in Tucker county, that have been there long enough to see what the financial impact to land owners are. Also the beautiful views along Backbone can be seen with the wind mills as a plus or minus depending on the viewer. It would be very easy at this point to do a survey and see what the majority think about it, before building on another mountain top.
As I said I am neither for or against the wind mills, but I am for cleaner power sources and there should be some compromise somewhere.

Elkins Plans to Oppose Windmills
March 12, 2008/ Inter Mountain

Elkins City Council has set a special call meeting for 4 p.m. Thursday with plans of passing a resolution opposing the Laurel Mountain Wind Farm project proposed by AES.