Please be advised that I am strongly opposed to the wind farm project being proposed for Galloo Island, PSC Case 15-F-0327 by Hudson Energy Development.
I am a year round resident of Jefferson County, Town of Cape Vincent and a retired Regional Director with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). In that former position I participated in the initial State-wide Open Space Planning Process and the listing of Galloo Island in the State-wide Open Space Plan. It was listed and is still listed because of its outstanding environmental and scenic value. At the time the State came near to acquiring the Island given its very special state-wide open space value consideration.
The placement of wind towers on this undeveloped island would certainly represent a serious visual intrusion.
In addition to Galloo islands scenic importance, special protection consideration needs to be given its abundant resident and migratory avian resource as well as recognition of the scarcity of Lake Ontario Islands in the first instance.
I further believe to site a wind farm on Galloo Island would be in violation of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determination that wind farms should not be sited within three miles of Great Lakes shorelines. Because of it's off-shore juxtaposition it would be hard to identify a more Great Lakes environmentally sensitive shoreline.
There has to be other sites better suited to wind farms to insure protection of this highly valued State-wide Open Space Island Resource.
Thomas E. Brown
1 comment:
It is a shame some people have to retire. I only wish Tom's attitude toward developing Galloo Island was shared by more in the DEC. Nice letter, and thank you.
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