The prospect of 400-foot-tall wind turbines spinning and constantly blinking across our scenic ridgelines has many thoughtful Vermonters saying, "Hold on, not so fast."

This isn't about the benefits of wind power. This is about slapping monstrosities on top of the Green Mountains -- arguably Vermont's greatest natural asset.

Gov. Jim Douglas, legislators, a regional planning agency, town planners and residents are asking the same question: Is industrial wind power right for Vermont? Increasingly, the answer is becoming: No.

A visit to a large wind facility on Quebec's Gaspe Peninsula this year helped convince the governor that wind turbines in his state should be kept to a smaller, "Vermont scale," and that clear-cutting and constructing enormous towers and extensive transmission lines would damage the ridgelines. Democratic Sen. Ginny Lyons said she and others who were on the trip with the governor to Murdochville, Quebec, saw the oversized turbines on the mountains -- and had the same reaction as Douglas. These would not be a good fit for Vermont.

The governor, whose position had been fuzzy previously, started to speak out against the industrializing of Vermont's ridgelines for an "incremental" amount of power.

At a Free Press editorial board meeting earlier this month, the governor also qualified his support for a proposed four-turbine "demonstration project" in the Northeast Kingdom, by saying he "absolutely" backed the state's Agency of Natural Resources' position that wildlife impact studies must be done by the wind developer before the project should go ahead.

The agency's decision not to support the project, which put it at odds with the state's Department of Public Service, came after repeated requests for the wildlife studies were rebuffed by the developer, East Haven Windfarm. The Public Service Board's decision on the East Haven project is pending. Surely the board cannot ignore the red flags of the agency and the governor.

Northeast Kingdom legislators are also waking up to the reality that their relatively remote and lightly populated corner of the state is hugely attractive to wind developers. A number of them are starting to raise their voices in opposition to utility-scale wind generation on their mountains, particularly after a vote in Sheffield earlier this month. A majority of the 213 Sheffield residents who voted were in support of UPC Wind's plan to build a massive development of 400-foot turbines across prominent ridges in Sheffield and Sutton.

Rep. Janice Peaslee, R-Guildhall, has said the wind developments proposed for the Northeast Kingdom would have an impact not only on the host towns, but on the entire region. She plans to introduce a bill in the next legislative session to bring wind development projects under Act 250, the state's more stringent land use law -- and not just Section 248 of the state's utility law. Although no development on the ridgelines would be preferable, this is moving in the right direction.

Earlier this month, the Northeastern Vermont Development Association, the regional planning and economic agency for the Northeast Kingdom, removed from its draft regional plan an endorsement of wind development. There was an outcry from members of the public, and board members responded appropriately by withdrawing the controversial wind power section for further study.

Towns around the proposed UPC project in Sheffield are facing facts. They would be deeply affected by the enormous wind towers above and around them. In a letter to the regional planning agency, the Selectboard of Kirby states its opposition to UPC's plan, saying it would have no benefit to the town or the region. "Our ridgelines are inextricably linked to the Kingdom's economy and its quality of life," the letter said. Now is the time to speak up before the developer starts proceedings before the Public Service Board.

Grassroots groups opposed to big wind's effect on their communities and ridgelines in Vermont and other states are becoming more organized. They are gathering and exchanging information at meetings and through a new Web site, www.windwatch.org.

Citizens are also being invited to participate in the Vermont Department of Public Service's mediated modeling project that brings together diverse interests to discuss the state's electricity future.

Through these measured and open discussions, Vermonters can play a role in shaping the state's energy future after contracts expire with Hydro Quebec in 2015 and Vermont Yankee in 2012. They are important discussions that will help determine the costs and the impact of energy choices on people, the environment and the economy.

Voices of reason are echoing around the state. Renewable energy is part of our future. It has to be. But it doesn't have to mean the desecration of Vermont's ridgelines. Check the Web To see a video of the Murdochville, Quebec, wind site, go to www.murdochville.com. For more information about mediated-modeling, go to www.mediatedmodeling.com, and to the Vermont Department of Public Service's site, publicservice.vermont.gov.