Fish & Wildlife opposes wind farm

A proposed wind farm in Ira could face opposition from the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife, according to a state official.

In a letter dated Dec. 22, Fish and Wildlife community ecologist Eric Sorenson told Vermont Community Wind Farm that the company's plan to put up as many as 45 turbines in the area would have "an undue adverse effect" on the area.

An organization opposed to the project circulated the letter Monday.

Sorenson wrote that the area of the project was one of the largest unfragmented areas of forest habitat in the Vermont Taconic Mountains, containing several rare plant species and natural communities deemed significant by the state.

"The way that project is designed, there would be a lot of fragmentation," Sorenson said Monday.

The letter went on to term it a "Rare and Irreplaceable Natural Area," a classification under Section 248, which governs utility permitting. The Public Service Board would be required to find the project does not pose "an undue adverse effect" to such an area before issuing a permit.

Sorenson said that Fish and Wildlife only has the power to make recommendations to the Public Service Board, but would recommend against the project as presented. He also said the letter was designed to communicate the department's concerns to VCWF.

Energize Vermont, the group that sent out the letter, e-mailed it along with a statement describing its contents and quoting a Mendon resident as calling the Ira ridgeline beautiful and deserving of protection. Calls to Energize Vermont spokeswoman Tara McGovern did not go through.

VCWF spokesman Jeffrey Wennberg stopped short of saying he was confident that the company would be able to address the department's concerns, but did say they were looking at it. Options include trying to mitigate impacts, he said, and building in some areas but not others.

"These are things you work through," he said.

Wennberg also said the company was watching the Georgia Mountain wind project. He said the issue of rare and irreplaceable natural areas came up before the PSB for the first time in a hearing for that proposal, and that the developer attempted to rebut the department's claims.

"Apparently there is no precedent for it," he said. "These are all case-specific, but where they come down on it will provide us with a great deal of guidance."

Last week, voters at Ira's town meeting overwhelmingly adopted a resolution that did not specifically mention the project, but was worded in a way that seemed to preclude it.

The resolution endorsed renewable energy development in accordance with the town plan. The town plan specifically rejects industrial wind development on the ridge line.

Wennberg said he was undiscouraged by the vote, saying that at least some of those who favored the resolution also favored the project. He said VCWF wants to have a townwide vote on a specific proposal, with numbers of towers, locations and payments to the town all spelled out.

"Put that to voters in an up-or-down vote - Australian ballot specifically because then intimidation is not an issue," he said.

Wennberg also argued that an Australian ballot vote would also maximize participation as many in town work the night shift.