A foreign wind developer stealthily entered our community with promises that resulted in the creation of a division among residents

 The exit of Spanish wind developer Iberdrola Renewables from the town of Hammond will create a feeling of relief for the majority of residents who have always felt the intrusion of this foreign conglomerate into the affairs of this small rural community was unwelcome. As a group brought together by a common cause over four years ago, the Concerned Residents of Hammond have been guided by their original mission statement concerned with the preservation of public health and safety, property values, economic viability, environmental integrity, and quality of life in our town and surrounding area. We provided factual information and education about all aspects of industrial wind energy installations and the impacts they would have on our community. We were dedicated to seeing that all levels of the governmental processes concerning this type of project were handled in a manner that was ethical, legal, honest, open and fair to all residents of Hammond. The long term objective has remained the same -- to promote sustainable growth and future development of our community.

We thank everyone who supported our efforts along the way. We especially want to thank the members of the 2010 Hammond Wind Committee who came together for over a year to educate themselves on wind development and its implications. Their effort to provide the Town Board with critical information to make informed decisions was invaluable, as the revised law withstood legal challenges and was upheld by the NY State Supreme Court.

The Concerned Residents understood there was more to Hammond than industrial wind development and have found other ways to support the community including support of the town board's completion of a comprehensive plan providing a "vision" for the community that utilizes the many natural resources available while protecting our quality of life. We look forward to watching the newly formed business and economic group grow and prosper and we will continue to provide annual support to the local community organizations that help to make this such a wonderful community.

We reiterate that it is important to remember there are no winners in this situation. We watched as a foreign wind developer stealthily entered our community with promises that resulted in the creation of a division among residents that may not heal in this decade or the next. They can now walk away unscathed as it was all just a job to them, devoid of emotion. Unfortunately this scenario is being allowed to be repeated across the United States and the people in small, rural communities are pawns in the game of corporate greed and political lobbying.                                                                                                               

Our thoughts are with our neighbors in Cape Vincent, Lyme, and Clayton who continue to be pawns in this game. The extraordinary 1000 Islands Region is not deserving of the destruction being planned by these foreign companies who have no emotional investment and not any interest in the broader economic vitality of our area -- only thoughts of financial gain at everyone else's expense. 

If you have an emotional attachment to this area because you live here full-time, have a seasonal home, have rented a camp or motel room, cruised our waters, or visited here because you know there is no other place like it on earth, it is important that you voice your feelings to the NY Public Service Commission Article 10 Siting Board in Albany. Visit: (http://documents.dps.ny.gov/public/MatterManagement/CaseMaster.aspx?MatterSeq=40867) and post your comments to protect the 1000 Islands from unnecessary destruction. This board of five members has been charged by Governor Cuomo to decide which communities will be chosen to be subjected to the property losses and threats to the health and safety of its residents that accompany industrial wind projects. The few minutes it takes to register your thoughts can help this Albany siting board understand there are areas where wind development is inappropriate and how important it is to protect this region at all costs.

Mary Hamilton

Hammond, NY