The beauty of the Blue Mountains is something to behold. The colors and textures are amazing.

That beauty is one of the many things that make this area a great place to live. It is clearly an economic benefit.

Tonight the Umatilla County Planning Commission meets to discuss whether to adopt an amendment to the county's comprehensive plan that would ban giant wind turbines. The meeting begins at 6:30 in Pendleton in the Justice Center Media room, 4700 NW Pioneer Place.

Wind farms are popping up all over Eastern Oregon and Eastern Washington. We generally think that's a positive thing. It's a clean way to generate power and it's good for the area's economy.

The foothills of the Blues are being targeted as a place to put extensive wind farms. The location has the potential to generate a lot of power as well as cash.

We certainly understand why placing wind turbines in the foothills of the Blues is an attractive idea to some.

Our concern is that these turbines would not be attractive to the eye. And that visual blight would more than offset the economic gains of even a very large wind farm.
The wind farms that can easily be seen on the drive from Walla Walla to Pasco on U.S. Highway 12 are not necessarily a problem. The landscape isn't particularly attractive. The huge turbines seem well placed with the sage brush.

That's not necessarily the case with the land that runs from Highway 11 to the Umatilla National Forest between the Washington state line and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.

A reasonable argument can be made to approve the proposed "No Turbine Zone" amendment to the Umatilla County comprehensive plan.

Making the decision, however, won't be easy as a variety of factors can -- and should -- be considered.

The rights of various landowners have to be taken into consideration -- those who own the land the turbines would be placed on and those whose property has a view of that land. The expectations those landowners had for their property are also a consideration. So, too, is the economic impact of the decision.

The main issue being considered -- the impact wind turbines will have on the view -- is a valid one. And it's not just an issue that impacts those who own property in the area being discussed.

The Blue Mountains are a resource shared by folks who live in Southeastern Washington and Northeastern Oregon. Anything that changes that resource is cause for concern, which is why we believe the "No Turbine Zone" amendment is worth considering.