Wind farms vs. wild Oregon: How many is too many?
By Associated PressMILTON-FREEWATER, Ore. (AP) — A move is afoot to restrict windmills in the foothills of the Blue Mountains in Umatilla County.
"I think there's areas we shouldn't have them, where there shouldn't be development," said Richard Jolly, who lives near Milton-Freewater. "We want to keep some of our open spaces and scenic views and wild areas." Jolly has proposed an amendment to the county's comprehensive plan, and the county planning commission will hear it June 25. It would limit structures in an area east of Highway 11 from the Washington state boundary to the Umatilla Indian Reservation if they conflict with agriculture or the aesthetics of the mountains. The amendment says windmills, some 400 feet tall, "consume expansive contiguous acres" in their effect on the view, resources, wildlife habitats and facility support. Umatilla County Planning Director Tamra Mabbott said cultural resources for American Indians or wildlife could also be affected in the Blue Mountains, unlike in other areas of the county where windmills already sit. "We have not yet had a wind farm that impacts such a variety of natural resources," she said. "In our county and in most counties, they're either on open range land, farm land or dryland wheat farm ground." Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Biologist Mark Kirsh said no official studies have gone into the Blues to study windmills' impacts on wildlife. "The foothills of the Blues are more diverse," he said. "There are more species and rich habitats than the arid lands of the valley floor. It is likely more species of animal and probably a greater volume will interface with wind farms in the foothills of the blues." Certain species like raptors, birds and bats are known to have trouble with windmills, but it's not known for other species like rocky mountain elk and mule deer, two prominent species that spend time in the Blue Mountains. "What will they do when they see a wind farm where they previously have not?" Kirsch asked.
(Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.) |
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