February 2, 2007
Letters, Vermont

Don't let UPC slice up wildlife habitat

My name is Ken Barrett and I’m an 80-year-old resident of Sutton. I was the manager of the King George Farm in Sutton for 31 years – all 3,155 acres of it – before it was sold to Meadowsend Timber Land and the King George School. I know this proposed site for UPC Wind’s project like the palm of my hand. I’m talking about where UPC Wind is proposing to put 16 420-foot turbines. That’s Granby, Libby and Barrett Mountain, named locally for my family although some folks still call it No Name Mountain.

Probably more than anybody else, I have, across the years, watched wildlife thrive on these mountains. I tamed a big mother bear here on these mountains. One spring I began talking to her and she made a little noise. By fall when she and her two cubs were eating wild apples, she trusted me. People came up to see us talk to one another.

I served on the front lines in World War II and don’t like to talk about that much. It’s the peace these mountains bring me that helps me get through those memories that don’t go away as you get older. I’m still hoping to match my record again up on these mountains where I got an eight-point 235-pound buck. Looking at Granby, Libby and Barrett Mountains from main roads in Sutton and going right up on them spring, summer and fall is the hand of God on my soul.

I know what a treasure these mountains are and so do many people here. As part of the Northeast Kingdom they belong to the last wild and remote section of Vermont.

I want you to know that this new idea of moving two 420-foot turbines out of Sutton a few hundred feet over into Sheffield does nothing to help us out in Sutton and nothing to help out the mountains. UPC is still slicing up wonderful wildlife habitat, destroying what I call God’s country and we would have to look at the destruction as much as ever and be kept off it.

And it does nothing to help out the folks in Barton. I talked with folks before the vote and it didn’t surprise me that vote came out 150-0 against the project. People in the surrounding towns love these mountains. Don’t mess with them.

I have faith that enough people in Vermont love our mountains just like I do and will protect them.

Sincerely,

Ken Barrett

Sutton

caledonianrecord.com


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/02/02/dont-let-upc-slice-up-wildlife-habitat/