Readers of The Journal's Oct. 21 front-page article "Environmentalists decry Black Pt. turbine plan" might be interested in hearing what these environmentalists really asked of Governor Carcieri. Our letter to the governor expressed concern about siting wind turbines and other renewable-energy projects on publicly owned lands absent a transparent public process for determining if and when it is appropriate to do so.

While reaffirming the real and immediate need for responsible wind-energy development, we pointed out the obvious - all energy projects have impacts and we need to understand and evaluate those impacts if we are going to find appropriate ways to avoid, minimize, or mitigate them. We acknowledged that there may be a place for wind-energy projects on publicly owned lands; but those decisions must consider the many uses and values for which the lands are acquired and should be not be made without public input.

Some of the signatories to the letter to the governor may ultimately support or oppose particular wind projects or the use of certain categories of public lands. A call for standards and transparent process, however, is not itself opposition. Allowing for a public process and establishing objective criteria to govern site selection will assure both reasonableness and fairness. In the end establishing a process will enable renewable-energy development in places that make sense for Rhode Islanders.

The writer is a vice president and director of the Rhode Island Advocacy Center of the Conservation Law Foundation. She wrote this on behalf of the Conservation Law Foundation, Audubon Society of Rhode Island, the Environment Council of Rhode Island, Rhode Island Land Trust Council, Save the Bay and the Nature Conservancy.