I'm not aware of any old growth in this area. The Nordhouse Dunes and surrounding areas seem to have been completely cut over. Where, specifically, is the old growth located?
The Ludington Pump Storage facility, located about 10 miles to the south, would seem to be a natural place to put wind turbines. The facility is on a bluff a few hundred feet above the edge of Lake Michigan and an electric power plant and transmission lines are already there, as water in the storage reservoir is used to generate electricity. Ernie On Sep 23, 10:51 pm, Ishgooda <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >Date: Tue, 23 Sep 2008 17:40:04 -0700 (PDT) > >From: Sherry L Hayden <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Subject: E-M:/ Wind farm in old growth next to Nordhouse? > >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Reply-To: Sherry L Hayden <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >List-Name: Enviro-Mich > > >The USDA is considering allowing a private company to put a wind farm in the > >Huron-Manistee National Forest. While that might sound good, I found out > >there are some big problems with it. > > >The proposed action follows in the next email (apparently the feds are a bit > >too windy, even for the ever-patient Enviro-Mich, which autobounced it at > >48k!) > > >There are two meetings to discuss it. We can't be there so we wrote a > >letter, below. Please feel free to use it and send in your comments. They > >are asking for letters by Oct. 12. > > >Scoping Meeting #1: September 30, 2008, at the Ramada Inn, 4079 W. > >U.S. 10, Ludington, MI. An open house format will be used. The public > >is welcome between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. > > > Scoping Meeting #2: October 1, 2008, at the Days Inn, 1462 U.S. > >Hwy. 31, Manistee, MI. An open house format will be used. The public is > >welcome between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. > > >Thanks for all you do for the Earth, > > >Sherry > > >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > >Re: White Pines Wind Farm Project > >Cadillac-Manistee Ranger District > >Huron-Manistee National Forests > > >ATTN: Barry Paulson, Forest Supervisor > > >Dear Mr. Paulson: > > >We are writing as homeowners residing much of the year in Mason County in > >the Manistee National Forest. Also, we are taxpayers who are stakeholders > >in our national forests, and frequent recreational users of local national > >forest lands. > > >We are proponents of alternative energy, and supportive of alternative > >measures to reduce the nation¢s dependence on foreign oil. We take a dim > >view of offshore drilling, especially in the Great Lakes. So we will be > >watching the White Pines Wind Farm Project with keen interest. > > >This location is next to Nordhouse Dunes, northern Michigan¢s only > >Wilderness Area. It is our understanding that the current two-tracks will be > >widened to 80-foot wide roads to accommodate this project, and likely to > >expand to 100-foot wide as brush is commonly mowed. This requirement will > >destroy the experience of walking on canopied two-track trails. It is > >especially objectionable since it will affect old-growth forest. Forest > >fragmentation will adversely affect habitat for wildlife. > > >Corporations find it beneficial to do business on national forest land > >because it is cheaper than siteing on private land, and it doesn¢t require > >the same level of scrutiny, zoning and public hearings as privately held > >property. While this benefits corporations, it does so at the expense of > >the owners of the property, the taxpayers, who will not be compensated at > >fair market value for it. Additionally, construction of infrastructure such > >as county roads would be at local homeowners¢ tax expense, which is of > >questionable benefit to the taxpayers. > > >We understand that the project is essentially a no-bid contract. > >Considering the sordid history of American taxpayers funding and subsidizing > >no-bid contracts in the Iraq War, we believe the government, including the > >National Forest Service, needs to avoid perpetuating this scandalous > >practice. > > >We have been told that studies have shown siteing the turbines in this > >location would have little effect on migratory birds. If this is true, we > >are pleased with that finding. However, we understand that bats are > >disoriented by the turbines, resulting in a notable death rate, which is of > >particular concern. > > >Given these objections, we are unable to support the White Pines Wind Farm > >Project in the Huron-Manistee National Forests. We support wind power but > >believe this site is wrong for this project. > > >Please send an electronic copy of the DEIS to (your email address here). > > >Sincerely, > > >Sherry Hayden and Mike Keeler > >(your phone number required) --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Eastern Native Tree Society http://www.nativetreesociety.org You are subscribed to the Google Groups "ENTSTrees" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
