Wyoming wind development plans stir up dust along Oregon Trail
LANDER, Wyo. – Wind power may be the star of Wyoming’s new energy boom, though it also raises a potentially-touchy historic preservation issue. The American Wind Energy Association says the state is in the top five for new development – and power company Duke Energy recently announced plans for more wind towers.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management in Lander is looking at wind-power potential in its latest management outline, and it could prove to be a tricky balancing act, according to Tom Rea with the Alliance for Historic Wyoming. His group has been working to preserve historic westward trails at South Pass and he thinks wind towers would clash with the snapshot of history the trails provide now.
“It’s not like history is the only thing they’re having to deal with; they’re also having to deal with wildlife habitat, especially the sage grouse, and water, and all kinds of other things, too.”
The Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails, and even-older Native American trails, all become one at South Pass. Most of the trail is on BLM land, though trail branches and sections are also on nearby private land.
A large ranch near South Pass was recently purchased by an out-of-stater who has big plans for wind energy development. Rea says they’ve met with the new landowner and discovered a shared appreciation for preserving the area’s history.
“We have the best and most pristine stretch of the Oregon-California Trail. It looks very much like it did 150 years ago when the covered wagons were going across it.”
Rea says they would like to see written guidelines from the BLM about preserving the trail viewshed.
Deb Courson, Public News Service – WY
10 November 2009
Tags: Wind power, Wind energy
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