SEARSBURG -- The Vermont Public Service Board on Thursday issued a Certificate of Public Good to Deerfield Wind, LLC, for the construction 15 400-foot wind turbines.

The 30-megawatt facility would cover 80 acres of Green Mountain National Forest land in the towns of Searsburg and Readsboro. The project would be a geographical extension of the existing Searsburg Wind Facility, with seven turbines going up on the east side of Route 8 and eight turbines to the west.

The certificate was issued with some conditions, one of them being that Deerfield Wind must sell most of the power generated from the facility to Vermont utilities. The order does not state how much, or at what cost, only that Deerfield enter into long-term contracts offering stable prices with Vermont power companies. According to the order, Deerfield has 90 days to update the Public Service Department on contract deals.

Deerfield reportedly has yet to enter into any contract negotiations with a Vermont utility. The board said the contracts are a necessity, as the project's tax benefits and job creation do not outweigh its environmental impact.

Readsboro and Searsburg would be paid annually by Deerfield for hosting the wind turbines. Readsboro would receive $154,000 while Searsburg would get $240,000. The board's written order notes the amount given to Searsburg is nearly equal to its annual budget of $251,000, while Readsboro's payment would equal two thirds of the sale price on the Readsboro Electric Utility.

Deerfield must also create a decommission plan and fund. According to the order, should the wind facility produce less than 65 percent of its projected output for two consecutive years, decommission proceedings will be initiated. However, if Deerfield has long-term stable contracts with Vermont utilities, the production requirement could be lowered to 50 percent.

The project's impact on black bear habitat was a concern for the board. Board member John Burke was opposed to issuing the certificate.

"I do agree with my colleagues' determinations that the project will have adverse impacts on black bears and bear habitat, and that as proposed, the project offers insufficient benefits to offset those adverse impacts," Burke said, adding that only 2.5 full-time jobs would be created after construction was complete, and the primary economic benefits only apply to Searsburg and Readsboro.

"No power purchasing agreement exists except for an agreement to negotiate with Green Mountain Power Corp., which is nothing more than a hollow and unenforceable promise," Burke said.

The board said Deerfield must take a number of measures to mitigate the damage caused by the removal of 361 bear-scarred beech trees as part of construction. The order requires the company to take steps to deter illegal ATV traffic on maintenance roads by gating them and having them patrolled. It must also submit a proposal to conserve 144 acres of similar bear habitat elsewhere in the state.

Repair work must also be limited during the fall, when bears are actively searching for beech nuts. Deerfield must also conduct bear studies every three years, post-construction, along with studies on bird and bat mortality rates.

The board said the new towers would not harm tourism.

"There is no empirical evidence that wind projects reduce tourism visitation or expenditure," the board said, citing the existing towers which have been up for the past 10 years.

Because the project is on federal land, the U.S. Forest Service must also approve the project. The service has held a number of public meetings and conducted environmental impact studies on the project, but had been holding off on a decision until the Public Service Board issued its own.

Deerfield Wind, LLC, is a subsidiary of Iberdrola Renewables, a company based in Spain. Deerfield notified the board and the towns of the project in 2005.