June 29, 2012
Letters, Vermont

Natural riches merit protection

Rutland Herald | via Grandpa's Knob Wind Project 29 June 2012

We are alarmed at the way the proposed windmill project at the Grandpa Knob and adjacent crest of the Taconic range in Hubbardton/Castleton has been pushed with little consideration of its impact on the terrain.

The necessary 72-foot-wide roads for the construction, the blasting and flattening of the tops of the hills and the potential effects on the streams are cause for great concern. We are part-time visitors to this beautiful state, with a house on Bomoseen for 24 years. The great attraction we feel for Vermont is in great part due to its unique natural environment and the generally forward and enlightened views of its citizens.

Having said that, it seems evident to us that the basic natural riches of the state are for the present and future endowment of all generations. No one has the right to exploit these riches by altering or destroying important features of the terrain. This is not equivalent to logging or managing the land. This right cannot be abrogated to politicians or even owners of adjacent properties.

The Taconic Mountains are very old and precious. They are a unique geological formation of Vermont, a corridor for wildlife, a source of pristine streams, a place for observing/hunting wild creatures and a source of great beauty to be appreciated by all. This is not a case of NIMBY, as there are plenty of locations nationwide where windmill farms make economic and ecological sense. They do not in the Taconic hills. Again, these mountains should be protected and, furthermore, should be defended against despoilers who view them as a means for short-term financial gains.

ANN S. RACY
ANIS RACY, M.D.
Canterbury, Conn.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/06/29/natural-riches-merit-protection/