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Industrial Wind Turbines Threaten Western MD Forest's Wildlife
Industrial Wind Turbines Threaten Western MD Forest's Wildlife
Saving our state forests in Western Maryland from industrial wind development....
While the Sierra Club is a strong proponent of wind power, the Maryland State Forests in Garrett and Allegany Counties are not appropriate sites for industrial wind power. DNR accepted comments through March 3 2008 at http://www.dnr.state.md.us/sustainability/wpm/
photo from mdwind.org
Click here to see Maryland Sierra Club Testimony 3-3-2008
In April, Governor O'Malley announced there would be no wind development on Maryland State Forests.
(See Baltimore Sun stories at bottom of this page)
The Sierra Club supports the development of substantial wind resources for electricity generation. Wind power is a clean, renewable resource that can help reduce our use of polluting fossil fuels (coal and natural gas) for electricity.
The Maryland Chapter Sierra Club opposes wind energy development in protected areas such as State Parks, Natural Environmental Areas, designated and proposed state Wildlands, Wildlife Management Areas, Heritage Conservation Fund Properties, and other areas that have special scenic, natural or environmental value, including old growth or areas providing habitat for forest interior dwelling species (FIDS). In these areas, it is inappropriate to build wind turbines, roads, transmission lines, or any other structure related to wind development.
The commercially viable wind energy development sites (onshore) in Maryland’s State-owned public lands (State Lands) occur predominantly on State Forests located in its far-western counties – Allegany and especially Garrett. A proposal to construct two industrial wind facilities on western Maryland's State Forests is under consideration by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), who has posed this public policy question to Maryland’s citizens: "Is industrial wind energy development an appropriate use of State Lands?"
 To credibly answer this question requires an understanding and appreciation of scale in relation to the size, population and extent/importance of public lands in our state. Maryland is the fifth most densely populated state, and yet ranks 42nd in land area. Its small State Forests are exceptionally valuable when considered in the context of our State's total land mass and population density. Maryland truly is a small and crowded state, and wind energy development of State Forests would have a profound impact upon our State. To illustrate this important point, consider that just the two wind plants now proposed on State Forests in Garrett County would be within the viewshed of over forty-four percent of the County, despite it being the second largest county in Maryland.
Maryland's remaining significant tracts of ecologically vital forest-interior habitat are centered upon the Appalachian ridges - primarily within these State-owned lands. Although small in comparison to the public land network within the surrounding region, the State Forests in western Maryland represent a critical link in maintaining the integrity of the crucial north-south Appalachian bio-region migratory corridor. GIS analysis of the National Renewable Energy Lab's (NREL) wind power class mapping data indicates that ALL commercially-viable locations for industrial wind plants occurring within State Forests of Maryland would adversely impact extensive blocks of increasingly rare contiguous forest and the concomitant, critically important FIDS habitat. We oppose wind power in these areas.
It is also important to understand that there is no meaningful public participation process for the siting of wind turbines on State Forest lands which is unacceptable to the Sierra Club. In fact, the Maryland legislature recently exempted wind energy developers from having to participate in the long-established siting process for electricity generators involving our State's Public Service Commission (PSC). This exemption, passed as SB560 during the 2007 legislative session, exempts a developer from obtaining a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) from the PSC for all onshore wind projects that are 70 MW or less in size - thereby eliminating public participation. This lack of public participation in the siting of wind plants in Maryland is unacceptable. Furthermore, no comprehensive land-use zoning regulations exist in Garrett County, so there is no local public participation process covering wind energy development and no land-use guidance or restrictions pertaining to the siting of industrial wind turbines.
Furthermore, the quality of the wind resource is relatively poor throughout nearly all of the acreage within the State Forests of Maryland. Outside of the existing and proposed Wildlands (i.e., federal wilderness equivalent), the remaining commercially viable development sites on State Forests are mostly comprised of Wind Power Class 3 areas with some Class 4 areas - which are considered to be "Fair" to "Good", respectively, by NREL (see map of Maryland's wind power - http://www.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/windpoweringamerica/pdfs/wind_maps/md_50m.pdf). In comparison, the electricity generation potential would be much superior at sites with extremely good wind quality – i.e., windy areas with a Class 5 up to Class7 rating.
A credible environmental review of wind energy development sites within State Forests would indicate that unacceptable "wildlife/habitat impacts" are likely to occur. The annual kill of migratory birds and bats likely would exceed 50 and may be as high 100 individuals per wind turbine installed - by far the highest rate of mortality for wind turbines installed anywhere in the world. The cumulative direct impact due to migratory wildlife collisions with wind turbines planned for the Mid-Atlantic Highlands region is potentially staggering.
For bats alone, the current projection - based on less than 4,000 MW of wind turbines installed by 2020 - would exceed 110,000 of these slow-reproducing mammals killed per year. This is likely a low estimate given that over 6,000 MW of wind turbines are now under study for interconnection within this same portion of the PJM grid region. These losses are unacceptable.
Maryland has yet to establish any siting or operational guidelines for avoidance, monitoring and mitigation of wildlife impacts due to wind energy projects built in the State - despite there being such a requirement in our RPS law, which was enacted in 2004.
The need for wildlife protection regulations covering wind energy projects in Maryland has been recognized and called for by the co-chair and co-founder of the Congressional Climate Change Caucus. In a letter sent by Congressman Wayne Gilchrest on May 9, 2007 to the Maryland Public Service Commission, he pointed out that – given the Maryland Legislature’s exemption of onshore wind projects – “oversight is necessary for such projects [exempted wind energy facilities] to assess and avoid impacts that severely damage wildlife populations, such as those experienced in California and West Virginia.” In concluding his letter, Congressman Gilchrest urged that “we must not repeat mistakes we have made with the production of fossil fuels by significantly threatening wildlife populations with wind generation.”
The last point, but not the least important, is that all of the potential sites for wind energy development on State Forests in Maryland would "significantly impair important scenic values". Western MD is heavily dependent - economically - on tourism, and the region's undeveloped character and its State Lands are cornerstones of this region's attractiveness to tourists, outdoor recreationists and for second-home development. In addition, most wind development sites within State Forests are situated near to and would be very visible from our State Wildlands.
The pressures on our already small State Forests are great -- their ecological importance and value to our citizenry cannot be overstated. Individual public opinion is running at about ninety percent opposed to siting of industrial wind plants on State Lands, clearly reflecting their perceived value, and an unprecedented alliance of disparate organizations has formally registered their opposition as well.
Therefore the Maryland Chapter opposes commercial industrial wind power development as proposed in Maryland State Forests.
photo from www.magicalliance.org
Old growth forests in Western Maryland thank you!
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-te.md.wind12apr12,0,3583807.story
Sun Exclusive
Wind farms to be barred
Governor will reject proposal to clear state forests for turbines
By Tom Pelton | Sun reporter April 12, 2008
Gov. Martin O'Malley plans to announce today that his administration will prohibit the construction of wind turbines in Maryland's state forests and parks, according to administration sources.
The decision ends a hotly protested proposal by a Pennsylvania company to clear about 400 mountaintop acres in two Western Maryland state forests to build 100 wind turbines.
O'Malley is scheduled to announce his decision this morning atop a scenic mountain overlook in Savage River State Forest that would have been altered by 40-story windmills.
U.S. Wind Force's proposal to lease state land in the Savage River and Potomac state forests was strongly opposed by Garrett County elected officials and citizens, who feared the industrialization of Western Maryland's scenic views.
"Wind turbines on state land would have absolutely destroyed for generations to come the pristine nature of our state forests," said John N. Bambacus, a former mayor of Frostburg and Republican state senator who led the fight against the turbines. "It's great news, and it's truly an indication that the governor is listening to the people up here."
The idea of leasing state forests for turbines as tall as the Statue of Liberty was also opposed by some environmentalists, who did not want private construction on public land.
But climate change activists argued that the state should allow the turbines in order to help fight global warming.
O'Malley listened to both sides but finally sided with preserving open space. "The governor feels very strongly that ... we need to protect our conservation lands because we hold them in trust for future generations," said one administration source.
Maryland has no wind farms today. Officials said O'Malley supports the construction of wind turbines on private land. Four companies are proposing to build windmills on privately owned farms in Western Maryland or in the Atlantic Ocean east of Ocean City. These proposals are moving forward or under discussion.
An administration bill passed during the recent General Assembly session gives a boost to the wind industry by requiring power companies to buy 20 percent of their electricity from alternative energy sources by 2022.
State residents expressed strong opposition to allowing turbines in state forests during a pair of public hearings in January in Western Maryland and Annapolis.
Of the 124 people who spoke at the hearings, 86 percent said turbines should not be built in state forests or parks, according to state records.
And it wasn't just Western Marylanders opposed to windmills in their backyards. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources received 1,312 e-mails and letters from all over the state, and 83 percent of the senders were opposed to turbines in state forests.
Frank Maisano, a spokesman for U.S. Wind Force and other wind developers, said he's disappointed. He said Maryland is falling behind Pennsylvania and West Virginia, which have wind farms.
"Maryland remains tied for last in the nation among wind development with zero, while our neighbors across the Mason-Dixon line and the Potomac River move forward with numerous projects," Maisano said.
Thirty-four states have wind farms, led by Texas and California. Those with none include Delaware and Virginia.
Cindy Schwartz, director of the Maryland League of Conservation Voters, said the decision by O'Malley, a Democrat, to protect state forests from development is a "huge contrast" with former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., a Republican.
"The governor has made a commitment to preserving open spaces," Schwartz said of O'Malley. "When Ehrlich was governor, they were trying to sell off public lands, and here we have a governor who is not only fully funding Program Open Space but preserving state lands for wildlife."
Program Open Space is part of a state law, passed in 1969, that diverts a portion of state real estate transfer taxes to buying up forests and fields to protect them from development.
Administration officials said O'Malley is expected to talk about his record on preserving open space and paying for improvements to state parks during his speech today at the Savage River State Forest. He's likely to highlight an additional $4 million he budgeted in November to improve park maintenance and hire more employees to care for state lands.
Past administrations have frequently taken money from open-space programs to balance the state budget, especially during hard economic times.
A philosophy of fighting for wild places influenced O'Malley's decision about the wind farms, administration sources said.
On the other side, the wind industry - represented by former House Speaker Casper R. Taylor Jr., now a lobbyist - was pushing the administration for leases of state land, arguing that wind turbines could improve air quality and help prevent future electricity shortages.
And the Chesapeake Climate Action Network pointed out that Maryland has allowed another commercial activity, logging, in the state forests. They argued that it would be worthwhile to encourage wind energy to produce electricity without burning coal, which creates greenhouse gases.
U.S. Wind Force, which is based outside Pittsburgh, started talking to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources about leasing land in the two state forests about two years ago.
The company signed an agreement with a large California utility and has been discussing building a total of five wind farms in Western Maryland, including three on private land.
tom.pelton@baltsun.com
Copyright © 2008, The Baltimore Sun
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.wind13apr13,0,1764811.story
Gov. confirms wind turbine ban
April 13, 2008
Gov. Martin O'Malley confirmed yesterday that his administration will not allow commercial wind turbines on state forest land, ending a heated four-month debate.
"While we must continue to explore and make progress on creating a more sustainable and independent energy future for Maryland, we will not do so at the expense of the special lands we hold in the public trust," the Democratic governor said.
O'Malley announced the decision, reported yesterday in The Sun, at a news conference at a scenic overlook in the Savage River State Forest. Opponents contended that allowing 40-story windmills on state-owned land in mountainous western Maryland would reduce its recreational value, spoil the landscape and lower property values, especially in the thriving Deep Creek Lake resort area of Garrett County.
O'Malley said the ban applies only to conservation lands owned outright by the state and managed by the Department of Natural Resources. It is not meant to discourage wind power development on other local, federal or privately owned land, he said.
The announcement follows four months of debate triggered by The Sun's report in December that Pennsylvania-based U.S. Wind Force was seeking to lease and clear about 400 acres in the Potomac and Savage River state forests to erect about 100 wind turbines. The company has estimated that the leases could bring Maryland about $30 million over 20 years.
[Associated Press
Copyright © 2008, The Baltimore Sun
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