LOCATION/TYPE

NEWS HOME


[ exact phrase in "" • results by date ]

[ Google-powered • results by relevance ]

Archive
RSS

Add NWW headlines to your site (click here)

WHAT TO DO
when your community is targeted

Get weekly updates
RSS

RSS feeds and more

Keep Wind Watch online and independent!

Donate via Stripe

Donate via Paypal

Selected Documents

All Documents

Research Links

Alerts

Press Releases

FAQs

Campaign Material

Photos & Graphics

Videos

Allied Groups

Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005.

News Watch Home

Group of E. Idaho residents oppose wind farm 

A group of eastern Idaho residents has banded together to oppose a proposed wind farm they say will destroy scenic views and harm wildlife.

“There’s no better place that I’ve been, and I’ve traveled a little,” said LaVar Grover, one of about 50 members of the Coalition to Preserve Wolverine.

Seattle-based Ridgeline Energy wants to build the wind farm in Wolverine Canyon. It has leased nearly 18,000 acres for the project, including some state endowment land. The wind turbines would use only about 60 acres, but would be spread out along the ridge line.

“They’re property owners and they’re concerned with the view in their backyard,” Ridgeline Vice President Rich Rayhill told the Post Register. “If I were a property owner I’d probably be squawking, too. I prefer it this way. I think it’s a good process. Of course we’d rather have everyone saying we think this (project) is great, but we think it’s a good process.”

Coalition members said the 300-foot tall wind turbines, miles of roads and traffic will harm wildlife as well as be a disaster for people who like to hike, hunt, ride ATVs and go snowmobiling in the area.

“Can you imagine looking up there and seeing windmills?” Grover said. “It’s unbelievable.”

The Bingham County planning commission on Sept. 26 recommended the permit for the project be approved, capping the number of wind turbines at 150. Area landowners appealed that decision, and the three-person Bingham County commission is scheduled to meet Nov. 13 to consider the project.

One wind turbine can produce about 1 1/2 megawatts, which is enough to power 600 to 800 homes. Rayhill said he’s negotiating to have the power used locally.

He also said the wind farm will increase the county tax base, as well as bring in money for the state endowment fund that benefits public schools because some of the leased land is state endowment land.

He also said that the land around the wind turbines could continue to be used for ranching, timber and farming.

“There’s increasing pressure on the landowners to subdivide their land, which would totally change the character, way more than windmills,” he said.

Still, local residents aren’t sure about having a wind farm nearby.

“We’re way in favor of wind farms in general,” said George McDaniel, who owns 5,000 acres in the vicinity, including Taylor Mountain Ski Area. “They produce good, clean energy. There are a lot of good things about them. But we are opposed to taking a pristine forest and littering it along the ridge tops and forests with windmills.”

Information from: Post Register, http://www.postregister.com

A service of the Associated Press(AP)

Times-News

3 November 2007

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

Wind Watch relies entirely
on User Contributions
   Donate via Stripe
(via Stripe)
Donate via Paypal
(via Paypal)

Share:

e-mail X FB LI M TG TS G Share


News Watch Home

Get the Facts
CONTACT DONATE PRIVACY ABOUT SEARCH
© National Wind Watch, Inc.
Use of copyrighted material adheres to Fair Use.
"Wind Watch" is a registered trademark.

 Follow:

Wind Watch on X Wind Watch on Facebook Wind Watch on Linked In

Wind Watch on Mastodon Wind Watch on Truth Social

Wind Watch on Gab Wind Watch on Bluesky