"Symbolism aside, Potter and Tioga County mountain ridges may not be as impressive as Yosemite's El Capitan, or the Grand Tetons, but something very real would be sacrificed on the questionable altar of Renewable Energy for Profit. Potter and Tioga county mountain ridges are not just a backyard. They are a heritage and a legacy. And they are as good a place as any to make a stand." Preserve the beauty of our region, say no to industrial wind.

The development of alternative energy is a complex issue and as such demands a response that is well researched, studied, investigated and debated. Not a knee jerk reaction, giving an enormous green handout to an industry(wind) whose contribution to our quest for clean energy is at best minimal, but leaving in it's wake a heavy widening scar across our land, across our globe.

Without proper zoning the land we love becomes a playground for corporate power and greed. Without a sound land development plan we become reactionary rather than proactive in protecting our most valuable asset, our land.

Sensitive ecosystems are being disrupted. Bird and bat mortality is a fact the industry can no longer deny. Threat to human health and safety, and the basic right to enjoy our homes in relative peace is being jeopardized, while industrial wind complexes are springing up as unwanted and intrusive "neighbors" in residential areas. Yet the industry attempts to trivialize valid concerns by labeling those who oppose as NIMBYS.

I believe the ridge tops of Potter and Tioga counties represent much more to us than just a backyard. Our ridge tops and scenic view sheds of unspoiled natural beauty are what make us unique. The night skies of Cherry Springs, an obsidian jewel, a national treasure, unable to be replicated anywhere else. A place where many come to reconnect with the land, absorb the peace and tranquility, a place that has the gentle power to restore. A haven from the pressures of modern life.

Taken from an article appearing in the New York Times, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. environmental lawyer and professor at Pace University law School writes:

" All of us need periodically to experience wilderness to renew our spirits and reconnect ourselves to the common history of our nation, humanity and to God. The worst trap that environmentalists can fall into is the conviction that the only wilderness worth preserving is in the Rocky Mountains or Alaska. To the contrary, our most important wildernesses are those that are closest to our densest population centers....."

We are the home of the Pennsylvania Wilds. We are her caretakers.

To close I'd like to "borrow" from a quote by Mark Walsh of Manchester Vermont.....

"Symbolism aside, Potter and Tioga County mountain ridges may not be as impressive as Yosemite's El Capitan, or the Grand Tetons, but something very real would be sacrificed on the questionable altar of Renewable Energy for Profit. Potter and Tioga county mountain ridges are not just a backyard. They are a heritage and a legacy. And they are as good a place as any to make a stand."

Preserve the beauty of our region, say no to industrial wind.