The board votes to grant more time for ongoing discussions between the parties involved.

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted 4-0 (Supervisor Joni Gray recused herself) to continue a hearing on appeals of the Lompoc Wind Energy Project to a date in February 2009.

The wind farm project, which will include up to 65 turbines and various related facilities on agricultural land near Vandenberg Air Force Base, has been in a tug-of-war between its proponents, Acciona Wind Energy USA, and neighbors of the proposed project who say the wind farm would affect their quality of life.

The California Department of Fish & Game also has filed an appeal to the project, which was approved by the supervisors in September. The DFG appealed on the basis of, among other things, the effects to wildlife and habitats in the area where the wind farm would be constructed.

Supporters of the project include local environmental groups, who, while advocating for more stringent monitoring of potential bird and bat strikes with the turbines, are pushing for more renewable energy in the county. The project is estimated to be able to provide more than 40,000 homes with power.

The hearing was set for Tuesday, but because of ongoing discussions between the parties involved, the supervisors granted a continuance to let all sides work their issues out before coming back to the board.