UT residents petition state against wind development

By Jason Agrell

Residents of 13 unorganized townships and one plantation, delivered petitions to Augusta Monday asking that the Land Use Planning Commission (LUPC) remove them from Maine’s Expedited Wind Zone.

This request comes as a result of two proposed industrial wind projects: a 24-turbine project on a ridge west of Big Indian Pond, proposed by EverPower, and a 26-turbine project proposed by SunEdison to be built on Misery Ridge, between Rockwood and Jackman.

Residents of Blanchard, Parlin Pond, Sandbar Tract, Sapling, Taunton and Raynham, Rockwood Strip, Moosehead Junction, Moxie Gore, Long Pond, The Forks, and West Forks townships, along with Dennistown Plantation, have signed petitions circulated in a petition drive, coordinated by the Moosehead Region Futures Committee.

Amy Lane, co-owner of Gray Ghost sporting camps in Rockwood, and manager of Squaw Mountain Ski Lodge near Greenville, is one of the petition organizers.

“I was overwhelmed when I saw the expedited wind map. We’ll all be affected by this. We’re known for our tourism economy, especially the unspoiled, scenic views. If that is taken away from us, we won’t have much left. The goal is not to prevent any development, but to at least be on an equal footing when it comes to zoning. The Land Use Commission gave us this opportunity where the expedited law didn’t allow us a voice, so it’s unwise for us not to take advantage of it,” she said.

Until recently, Maine’s Wind Energy Act of 2008, had effectively denied the residents of UT’s any voice in the process of wind development permitting in their areas. In June of 2015 the Maine legislature passed LD 828, which allows UT residents to petition to “opt out” of the Expedited Wind Zone.

UT residents must gather signatures from 10 percent of those who were registered to vote in the last gubernatorial election, certify those signatures, and submit them to the LUPC between January 1st and June 30th 2015. Once these petitions are submitted, there is a 45-day period, in which the petitions may be challenged and subjected to a substantive review.

“The current petition process is our only means of exercising our right to protect our property and our economic future. It is clearly one-sided and favors the large wind developers and their partners over the residents in the UTs. But we’ll take any avenue we can to try and stop these projects. We know we are in for a long battle and this is only the beginning,” said John Willard, owner of the Birches Resort in Rockwood and president of Moosehead Region Futures committee.

“Having our local residents step-up and be counted means everything for saving our quality of place and our economic future. This is a classic David and Goliath situation ‚Ä“ Maine citizens with their hands tied behind their backs trying to fight large, out-of-state corporations and big-monied interests,” he added.

However, the final decision on whether or not the petitions stand lies with the LUPC. Though the rules and procedures for the substantive review process have not yet been established, it is likely that the review process will include public hearings considering the petitions and any potential challengers.

Now that petitions have been signed and delivered, the greatest concern among petitioners is the ability of their petitions to stand against the legal teams of the wind companies, construction interests, and large landowners.