August 21, 2012
Blogs, Maine

This must not be the future of the Appalachian Trail in Maine!

Posted by Brad Blake on August 19, 2012 at 12:46am | Citizens' Task Force on Wind Power - Maine | www.windtaskforce.org

Is this vista from the Appalachian Trail on Baldpate the future???

I was privileged over several years time when I was much younger to hike the entire length of the Appalachian Trail in Maine, from Carlo Col on the Maine/NH border to Baxter Peak on iconic Mt. Katahdin.  It was with great interest to me, now that health challenges keep me from climbing to these magnificent summits, to see the Maine Appalachian Trail Club was having a photo contest commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the completion of the AT in Maine.  Many photos brought back fond memories–I vividly remembered those vistas!  Then I came to this photo.  Posted by Alex Sherbrook, with the comment “Some of the realities of a changing landscape..”

This is the view from 3812 ft. Baldpate, East Peak.  Looking to the East across gorgeous Roxbury Pond, toward Mt. Blue.  These are the 459 ft. tall wind turbines of Angus King/Independence Wind’s Record Hill project.  The project that produced only 22.57% capacity factor in the 2nd quarter of this year.  The project that King manipulated the Federal government into providing $102 million loan guarantee and with that miserable output, the taxpayers may indeed end up paying for it.

There is a real problem with people like Alex having such acceptance with a statement like “Some of the realities of a changing landscape..”  Alex, this is a scam.  Do NOT accept this as a reality.  Do NOT allow the landscape to be changed in this way.  Record Hill, Flathead Mt., and Partridge have been blasted, leveled, and scalped to put in turbines that are out of place in the Maine mountains.  See the photos of Record Hill Wind at this link:  https://picasaweb.google.com/101554457531034815464/RecordHillWindPr…

The Maine Appalachian Trail Club, Appalachian Mountain Club, Maine Audubon, Natural Resources Council of Maine, and the Maine Nature Conservancy chapter are the lead environmental groups that should be opposed to destroying Maine’s mountains for the folly of wind.  But several accept donations from wind developers and their cronies.  Example:  on Maine Audubon’s website, they list First Wind as an “Eagle” donor!  NRCM has their “Clean Energy” project that promotes wind power, testifying on behalf of the industry. 

But what about the two organizations that promote and provide stewardship to the Appalachian Trail?  Should they not be protecting the grand vistas and subtler views from our uniquely beautiful mountains from the blight of wind power sites?  Do people who hike long distances through the forests to earn those views deserve views of wind turbines instead?  Do they not realize that the line of turbines seen in this photo could some day be lining every ridge parallel to the AT from NH to Katahdin?  Do they kowtow to the political correctness of “being green” to passively accept wind turbines rather than staking out boldly their self interest in preserving the integrity of the AT experience through Maine?

To it’s credit, MATC opposed the Highlands Wind project and the ill-conceived Redington-Black Nubble project.  If you hunt enough on their website, you will find their policy statement regarding wind.  Link:  http://matc.org/Documents/Windpower%20Policy%20MATC%20Final.pdf  Carefully crafted to not oppose wind power development, “MATC recognizes the need to develop wind power as a renewable energy source” but to advocate “Careful siting of wind energy facilities.”  There was some thought put into this document, but it doesn’t go far enough.  It hasn’t stopped Record Hill or Spruce Mt projects, which are clearly viewed from the AT.  MATC is not actively opposing wind project proposals for places like Bingham and Moscow and not being proactive to oppose projects that may be built within a scant few miles of the borders of Baxter Park.  Nor does the MATC fight for other threatened areas like Tumbledown or Mt. Blue.  The organization was nowhere to be found when bills were presented to the Legislature to amend the heinous “Wind Law”, LD 2283.  To me, MATC needs to educate and energize its membership regarding the single biggest threat to the AT in Maine.  They need to boldly state that no wind turbines are acceptable within an AT vista.

Regarding the AMC, here is a quote from their energy policy “human actions are accelerating the rate of climate change, and this change poses a serious risk to society and the region’s ecosystems. AMC recognizes that wind power and other renewable energy sources must have a substantive role in reducing greenhouse gas and air pollution emissions in our region.”   They are more about climate change and promoting wind power than protecting the incredible resource.  Shame on them!

If you know someone who is a member of MATC or AMC, get them the facts about the wind power scam and fire them up to advocate within those organizations for strong opposition to the proliferation of industrial wind turbines in Maine.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/08/21/this-must-not-be-the-future-of-the-appalachian-trail-in-maine/