Governor Martin O'Malley's announcement of his decision to protect Maryland's public lands from industrial wind development came from the heart. Standing before a breathtaking early spring view of the Monroe Run vista and addressing about 200 Garrett Countians, the governor spoke eloquently about his stewardship obligations for passing down such natural beauty to our posterity-our children's children. He also commended the articulate passion of so many western Marylanders as they helped him clarify why this issue is so important here, and how intimately tied it is to our quality of life.

Mr. O'Malley's decision might even be considered courageous in light of his belief that massive wind technology should be part of the mix that will drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and end our dependence on foreign oil. The governor is a busy man with much on his mind - all the more reason that he should surround himself with staff who can provide him with better information.

He seemed genuinely surprised when afterwards he was told that oil only contributes 0.3 of 1.0 percent toward the production of our electricity, making it clear that wind energy can do nothing to mitigate our reliance on foreign oil. And given the thermal implications involved in balancing wind's volatility, among other factors, the technology can offset at best relatively miniscule levels of carbon emissions.

Governor O'Malley's rationale for protecting our public lands should be instructive to our local political leaders, who have stated they believe the entirety of Garrett County should be conserved as a natural heritage resource. And they are right. The oafish presence of ineffectual commercial wind installations is incompatible with that idea. County leaders should work to prohibit such development before it devalues property (as even the threat of it has already done), creates unlawful noise, kills wildlife, diminishes hunting grounds, and otherwise diminishes how we literally see ourselves.

Jon Boone