Getting the Message...

One of the first things I do upon arriving home from work each afternoon is to listen to the messages on my answering machine. I push the red-flashing button to listen and then move around the kitchen--taking care of my groceries, sorting the mail I just picked up from the box at the end of my road, and occasionally grabbing a pen to jot down the number of someone who needs a return call.

Sometimes, I'm able to wash a sink full of breakfast dishes while listening to the dulcet tones of friends, clients, and associates--as one or two of them are extremely loquacious and they ramble on and on. Most likely, they do so because they appreciate a captive audience…One which doesn’t interrupt them while they speak.

I’m a creature of habit, and I always look for that flashing light as I set my parcels on the sideboard. Once in a great while the button is dark, and for a moment I feel bereft. Wasn’t there anyone who needed me while I was gone?

And once in awhile, I find myself wishing that I’d never pushed that blinking button.


Last Tuesday was just such a day. The message I heard as I put the milk and eggs in the fridge was a recorded one. No live being asking me a question or telling me some news, but a canned soundtrack. It was from my telephone company, informing me that it was imperative that I call the following toll-free number.

Well, what possible urgency could exist which would cause my telephone service provider to leave such a message? I knew for sure I’d paid my bill. Didn’t I? I wracked my brain, trying to recall that happy occasion. I couldn’t remember specifically writing out the check, but I was positive that I would have felt some unease if I was guilty of the offense of non-payment. The problem came when I realized that I didn’t have the checkbook from which that payment would have been written. My husband did. So, I called the number and see what was what. I certainly didn’t want to risk disconnection based on my mental self-assurances. My memory has let me down too many times in the past.

I dialed the number. Not surprisingly—I was greeted by another recording.

The female voice began speaking in English, but promptly switched to Spanish. I rolled my eyes and sighed. I’m pretty sure my telephone company is based in America, and I really didn’t have time to decipher “por (something) espangnol (something something) numero dos.”

So, I didn’t “something something” anything… just held the line and hoped that the robotic voice would revert to my native tongue. After a pregnant pause, it did.

“Please enter your four digit PIN number, then press pound.”

Oh, yeah. My “PIN” number. For the life of me, I had no idea what that might be. None. I remembered getting a notice from my telephone company several years earlier, informing me of that vital combination of numbers, and I’m sure I’d filed it away for future reference. Filed it somewhere. In my office? In mi casa? I had no idea where it was. No idea why I’d need it.

Until now. How would I find out the reason for the urgent call from the phone company if I couldn’t produce that PIN? In another moment, I breathed a sigh of relief. I had options!

“If you do not know your PIN, please press ‘two’, followed by the pound key.”

Okay! I pressed ‘two’ and '#'.... and waited.

“If you are calling regarding an existing residential account, press ‘one’. If you are calling about an existing commercial or business account, press ‘two’.”

Well, heck. I didn’t know WHY I was calling! But because the message was left on the answering machine at home and not at my office, I took a stab in the dark. I pressed ‘one’.

“If you are calling about making payment arrangements, press ‘one’. If you are calling for a new service, a change in service, or to disconnect an existing service, press ‘two’. If you are calling about internet service, press ‘three’.

Didn’t they listen to their own recorded messages? Didn’t the company realize that they hadn’t given me enough information to know WHY I was calling? How much time did I have before making up my mind about which number to press? I could feel a mild panic setting in. Or was it mild irritation?

“If you would like to hear the menu again, press ‘four’.”

Okay, that bought me some time. I pressed ‘four’ and listened to the whole spiel all over again. At the end of the instructions, I took another stab in the dark. I took a gamble on the most likely reason I was calling. It’s not often that I’m the last to know why I make a phone call, but this is the age of technology. I learned a long time ago that I’m almost ALWAYS the last one to understand anything when it comes to ‘modern conveniences’. (And I use that term loosely.)

I pressed ‘one’.

“One moment, please.”

At least the robot was polite. I waited for a human being to answer the phone.

I waited in vain.

“Please enter your PIN number, followed by the pound key.”

Well, for crying out loud! Hadn’t I pressed ‘two’ just moments ago, when instructed to do so after I ascertained that I didn’t KNOW my PIN number?

Yes, I most certainly had.

“I don’t KNOW my PIN number!” I uttered aloud to no one.

A moment of silence, and then, “We’re sorry. Please enter your PIN number, followed by the pound key.”

“I SAID I don’t KNOW my PIN number!” I felt idiotic as I spoke to a mechanical being, but what were my options?

“We’re sorry. Please enter your PIN number, followed by the pound key.”

Exercising my vast reserves of self-control, I kept silent. I seethed—which was, perhaps, an over-reaction--but the thought crossed my mind that this was a ridiculous waste of my time, and as a customer of this company for almost 30 years, I deserved to be spoken to by a real, live human.

I waited.

“Please hold, while we connect you with the next available operator.”

Halleluiah! I was going to speak with a PERSON. I only hoped he or she spoke English…

I heard a click, and then… “Good afternoon. This is Candice. May I have your PIN number, please?”

Oh, for crying out loud. This was ridiculous. I called up faded memories of Sesame Street and growled, “Si. Quatros-uno-ocho-cinqo.”

“Ah. Buenos dias, Senora.”

I hung up.

And sent a new check--just in case.

"The Dreams Stuff is Made Of"...

Where else but on Grumbles and Grins can one find men and women of integrity? Oh, I know... there are a few blogs which might be as graced as GAG. But I lay claim to a monopoly of the coolest of all 'followers' and visitors.

In my last post, I apologized for starting a contest, and then--for completely forgetting about it. It is the mark of a terrible hostess, for sure. I pronounced my friend Crookedpaw the winner--the choice being easy, as the bloke was the only entrant. I promised to mail his prize; consisting of a quart of Maine maple syrup and an autographed copy of Grumble Bluff, post haste. (Punny, huh? "Post" haste. "Mail". Get it?)

Oh, brother. Never mind...

So, that was yesterday. TODAY, I arrived home to find this:

That's right. The quart of maple syrup which I've had for a month--a month during which no one felt the need to touch it--had been opened, and sampled. Used. Poured over French Toast and bacon.

It's not like there were no other options. There were two already-opened plastic containers of syrup in the fridge. One from sap boiled down in neighboring Embden, and one from the maple trees of Strong, a town approximately 40 minutes away. It was local syrup, yes. But it was syrup which was sold commercially. I'd wanted to gift my friend with the product of our own trees, right here in Lexington Township. I wanted to give him some 'marple sarple' made--not to sell--but to be enjoyed by our family and friends.

So, I was grouchy. Slightly grouchy, but in a loudish kind of way.

"Great!" I said to no-one in particular, and everyone within earshot. "Now I've gotta go hit up Cousin Jimmy for another quart!"

Less than ten minutes later, I came upstairs and sat at my computer. I opened my email account. And, lo and behold, there was a note from my pal Crookedpaw, telling me that he couldn't accept the prize. That to do so wouldn't 'sit comfortably' with him. That I should SAVE THE SYRUP (now known as an impossibility) until he wins the next contest fairly and squarely.

Or something like that.

:o)

I lucked out. I've been let off the hook. I won't have to go down the road to Cousin Jimmy's, hat in hand, and ask for more syrup. I won't have to endure another quarantine of my packages as Aussie Customs tries to determine if the jar contains whiskey or some other type of contraband. Heh...

CP, you're a prince. You DID deserve the prize, but I'll graciously say 'thank you' and keep (what remains of) my syrup here in Maine.

For the time being, anyway.

Thanks, sport.

Oops!!!! Sleeping on the Job!

Hey, gang...

I owe you an apology! I have been so busy (not kidding! I know it's a bad excuse but it's true) that I not only forgot about the ending of my most recent contest, but in between posting it and now, I forgot to promote it, too.

Holy smokes.

It is, of course, obvious that we have a winner. Once again, Crookedpaw prevails. Against all odds and strong opposition, he managed to pull another one out of the bag!

Hehehe........ I feel like such an idiot.

And we really made this way too easy for our Down Under pal. A man with the brains and talent of Mr. paw should have had to work much harder for his victory. (And I should have worked much harder to get others involved, so that he had to.)

A quart of Lexington maple syrup, fresh made six weeks ago by Cousin Jimmy, will be on its way to CP very soon. Since that's a trip of 10,000+ miles, I'll mail a copy of GB under separate cover, just in case the syrup jar breaks, or it leaks, or something. (Won't Aussie Customs love me, then!? We have such a sticky relationship, already!)

Again, I'm sorry I dropped the ball, here. In addition to job and family, I started a new blog, Voices On the Wind (VOW) so that I could keep windy stuff separate from my other writing here on GAG. And I've been very involved in legislation at the Capital in Augusta, along with myriad details having to do with the Highland Wind project. And other projects and people and issues. Like I said, that's no excuse... but it IS my excuse.

Hugs from here,
Kaz

Royally Skewed

Wednesday’s editorial “Nothing to Cheer About…” regarding Angus King’s temporary withdrawal of his application for a wind turbine development in Highland was published in all three of Maine Today Media’s newspapers. If there were any questions remaining about the bias of this publisher in the matter of industrial wind development, they’ve been answered.

Quote (MTM): “Opponents of wind power are no-doubt celebrating…”

Did MTM editors call any ‘opponents’ to see if they were cheering? I spoke with many--and often, the opposite was true. We aren’t naïve, and we recognize that Mr. King is gaming the system. Maine’s Expedited Wind Law is great when it works in the wind industry’s favor, but that abbreviated time-frame proved to be a bane for Highland Wind when their project was challenged by the MDIFW. And lest anyone think this report came as a surprise to the developers, the MDIFW states they “provided technical assistance and consultations to this project since 2007. Despite considerable discussions and previous project modifications, an array of concerns remain unresolved…”

Quote(MTM): “They are not cheering because they love the Roaring Brook mayfly, or are appreciators of the northern bog lemming…”

How are the editors so in tune with ‘wind opponents’? Did they ask how they feel about the ecosystems and environment of Maine? Do they know how many opponents of mountaintop industrial wind are dedicated individuals who appreciate the special qualities of the Maine woods? How many of them guide nature tours in these hills? And are the editors so narrow-minded that they are unable to acknowledge that many other species are affected every time one is endangered or lost? They trivialize a mayfly—but that species has thus far been found only in Maine. Both the above-mentioned species have already been impacted by the Kibby and Sisk wind projects.

Quote(MTM): “opposition has come from people who don't want to look at tall white towers and rotating turbines…”

Quote(Angus King in May of 2010): “It’s all about the view.”

Statements such as those have one purpose: to try to turn public opinion against opponents of industrial wind. To belittle us as selfish elitists who put our ‘back yard’ view above other, more important things.

That is a warped reality.

A view has value, yes. It’s evidenced by the fact that real estate with gorgeous vistas command higher prices on the market, and in towns’ assessment books. “Views” are an integral part of Maine’s celebrated “Quality of Place”, and their value brings billions of tourism dollars to our state’s economy. Yes, scenic value is important. I wouldn’t be surprised if the owners of MTM and Highland Wind LLC enjoy some lovely views from their own homes.


A quick perusal of MTM’s own online comments section would have quickly proven that ‘wind opponents’ have diverse and vital concerns, including Mainers’ health and well-being, protection of our environment, and distress at having to foot the bill for the $1.4Billion transmission costs needed to add ‘wind’ to our energy mix. We are concerned with apparent conflicts of interest as Maine’s leaders chose an unreliable, intermittent, expensive and un-storable energy source which was abandoned 100 years ago for good cause. We are worried about permanently scarring our fragile slopes and ridges, and removing thousands of acres of carbon-sequestering trees. We fear for bald eagles, bats… and yes. Some really are concerned about small rodents and insects, especially as they pertain to the larger picture.

Quote(MTM): “Through the expedited permitting law passed by the Legislature, investors could expect to find a clear path to approval.”

A clear path to approval is exactly what the authors of that law expected, and many of them were heavily invested in the outcome. In a letter from Rob Gardiner (partner to Angus King and president of Independence Wind) to Alec Giffen, chair of the Governor’s Task Force on Wind Power, Gardiner attempts to influence the writing of the law which gave wind developers the advantage over Maine citizens, forestalling their objections to wind developments.

Gardiner states: “In my opinion, the biggest sticking point is visual impact. Under the standard of "fitting harmoniously into the environment", wind is at a serious disadvantage. Because it involves 250' high structures (King and Gardiner’s are 400+ feet tall) that are usually on high ridges, the visual impacts are significant.”


“An immediate executive order followed by legislation that specifically removes the presumption of negative visual impact from wind farms would go a long way toward setting the stage for balanced regulatory review.”

“A second element of such executive order and legislation should be to declare that reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions is a public benefit, and that wind farms can make a significant contribution toward a more sensible energy mix for Maine. Therefore, any regulatory agency should accept these positions and not waste time receiving further evidence and debating them. To the extent that regulators are charged with balancing the benefits of any project against the negative impacts, these beneficial aspects should be "a given" for wind farms.”

“…wind farms ought not to be expected to help purchase conservation lands or do other types of mitigation. Wind farms ARE mitigation for our energy consumption habits and for the impacts of fossil fuel consumption.”

“I understand that preserving Maine's "quality of place" is an important goal for your task force. I fully accept that having wind farms everywhere might ruin that quality.”

"I recognize that LURC feels overwhelmed… This may need attention, but it is a short-term phenomenon. Don't change the rules, provide the necessary resources. The Governor can do that... But creating a new agency or shifting responsibilities will, in actuality, make it harder for developers.”

Yes, investors like those hoping to develop Highland’s mountains certainly expected—and worked hard to get—a ‘clear path to approval’.

Quote(MTM): “any Mainer concerned about an unfriendly business climate and a propensity for over-regulation should look at this frustrating process and wonder if there is anything to cheer about.”

MTM certainly hasn’t supported Governor LePage, but it’s apparent they are attempting to use his administration’s goals of bringing jobs to Maine (and reducing environmental regulations in order to do so) to their advantage. Such statements cloud the issue; but if new, full-time jobs are MTM’s goal, perhaps the editors should read the Highland Wind LLC permit application to see exactly how many will be supplied by this development, and how many American tax-payer dollars must be spent to provide that handful of technical positions.

Maine Today Media has reporters who have been in the field and spoken at length with many ‘wind opponents’. Those journalists know the scoop. MTM’s editorial board would do well to deal in truths rather than biased rhetoric intended to sway the public’s perception of Maine’s wind energy plan.

********************
Top and second Photo: First Wind's Rollins project, credit: Friends of Lincoln Lakes
3rd and 4th photos: Iberdrola Renewable's access point for met towers erected in Lexington Twp., taken by Kaz Pease, November 2010.

ANGUS KING WITHDRAWS HIGHLAND PERMIT APPLICATION

On December 18, 2009, Highland Wind LLC (HW LLC) filed a permit application with Maine’s Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC) to build a 48 turbine grid-scale wind energy facility in Highland Plantation. Due to the inappropriateness of the site and due to the negative impacts such a development would have to the local ecology and environment, to the nature-based economy, to the health and quality of life of the area residents, and to scenic qualities of the area near the Bigelow Preserve, the Appalachian Trail and the Arnold Trail, Friends of the Highland Mountains (FHM), along with the Maine Appalachian Trail Club (MATC) and others, requested intervenor status.

Upon analysis of the application, FHM filed a motion to suspend the review process until such time as HW LLC provided the necessary documentation to meet the completeness standards set forth by LURC. On April 7, 2010, LURC ruled in FHM’s favor, and the review of the permit was suspended.

On December 29, 2010, HW LLC submitted a revised permit application for a 39 turbine wind facility, acceding, in part, to the concerns about the project’s impacts to the Appalachian Trail and the Bigelow Preserve. The application was deemed complete and accepted for processing on February 23, 2011, initiating commencement of the expedited review process once more. Again, upon examining the application, FHM determined several areas wherein the applicant had not provided sufficient documentation for a comprehensive review (including complete Title, Right or Interest; make, model and size of turbines proposed for the project; and sufficient proof of financial capacity) and we once again petitioned LURC to suspend the review process. This time, LURC ruled in favor of the applicant, HW LLC. In keeping with the statutes, FHM and the other intervenors submitted documentation and filings by the deadlines set forth.

On April 13th and 20th, 2011, Agency review comments were submitted to LURC. The comments submitted by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IFW) stated unequivocally that Highland “is not an appropriate locality for an intensive wind energy installation such as that currently proposed by Highland Wind Power.”

On April 26, 2011, the 3rd Procedural Order, including a schedule of events and deadlines, was sent to all parties, and intervenors provided witness lists, as well as the issues they would be addressing at the Public and Technical Hearings, to the LURC staff and the applicant, HW LLC.

On May 2, 2011, Angus King, a principal of HW LLC, submitted a letter to LURC withdrawing his application, with “intent to re-file at a later date”, and stated that those government agency review comments “suggested that additional data would be necessary to satisfy agency concerns.”

The IFW did not suggest that additional data would satisfy their concerns. The IFW stated that Highland was “not an appropriate locality”. "Additional data" will not change the fact that Highland’s mountains are an inappropriate site for a grid-scale wind energy development. In fact, the IFW stated that they have “provided technical assistance and consultations to this project since 2007. Despite considerable discussions and previous project modifications, an array of concerns remain unresolved…”

Highland Wind LLC must permanently withdraw their development permit application to build an industrial wind turbine facility in Highland Plantation. The IFW’s report, in conjunction with the many other issues raised by the intervenors, provides ample reason to abandon all plans to develop the mountains of Highland Plantation.

FHM has conformed to all the standards and restrictions set forth in the so-called “Expedited Wind Permitting Law”. The applicant has pressed for an expedited review, as evidenced in letters obtained through the Freedom of Information Act between Rob Gardiner, President of HW LLC, and LURC. Now that the developers have realized that their project, as submitted, was destined for denial, they are gaming the system. HW LLC has had several years in which to study and ascertain the appropriateness of their proposed development, and has ignored all concerns except those which they determined had the greatest ability to hinder the approval of their project. The Agency review comments submitted by the IFW, an unbiased party, corroborate some of the many concerns which FHM has presented as reasons why approval of this project should be denied. By abandoning their plans to industrialize Highland’s mountains, HW LLC has the opportunity to save Maine tax-payers and individual citizens additional expense.

Mr. King and Mr. Gardiner should publicly and permanently cancel all plans to build an industrial wind facility in Highland Plantation.

Questions...

What happens when you lose faith in your government? What happens when you start asking questions, and the answers you receive stun you to your very core? What happens when you realize that the People haven’t been running the show, but it’s Big Money and Big Corporations which are in charge, and have been for a long, long time? What happens when you realize that those elected officials you thought were there to serve the People are, instead, pawns for a powerful force which does not care about citizens or their rights, but only cares what those citizens can do to help advance their cause and add to their wealth?

What do you do?

Do you ignore the truth, and go about your business? Do you assume that the revelation, while disturbing, won’t affect you? Or do you hope that someone else will take charge, and step up to the plate to correct the problem? Someone more qualified than you, or who isn’t as busy? Do you feel a twinge of dismay, or sadness or hopelessness, but think to yourself, “Well, there’s nothing I can do about it!”? Do you flounder at the immensity of the problem, convinced that your one voice will be ineffective, thereby persuading yourself to remain silent?

Or do you start to speak out? Do you talk to your neighbors and family members? Do you read and research and investigate so that you are as informed as possible, and then take that knowledge that you’ve acquired and try to educate the public?

And if you do take a stand, for how long will you hold your ground? Will you remain constant if your livelihood is threatened? If your reputation is damaged? Will you stay in the game once you find out that you have been “profiled”—your movements tracked, your “tone” evaluated? Will it disturb you when you are approached by strangers from these corporations who seem to know you intimately?

Will you speak out as often and as publicly as possible when you know you are angering the opposition? Will you be intimidated when you testify before Legislative Committees and discover that the corporate lobby has paid dozens of people to come to oppose you and your position? Will you lose hope when you discover that some of the very people you depend on to help you have been paid off, or have personal and financial interests which create obstacles to their ability or willingness to help?

What will you do when well-meaning insiders sympathetically caution you to “give up”? When they tell you that you don’t stand a chance, and that the entities you are opposing are too well-entrenched and powerful to ever be disrupted by someone as inconsequential as you? How will you act or respond when people who’ve promised to support your cause suddenly back off? When you find out they’ve accepted money in exchange for dropping their opposition, or that they’ve been indirectly threatened in some way?

How far will you go? How long can you hold out? Is the battle worth the sacrifice?

Have you ever asked yourself these questions?

I have.

I Don't Like Spiders and Snakes... but if that's what it takes...

Derek Small, Executive Director of the Granite State Zoo (GSZ), a nonprofit conservation-education organization, is bringing some of the Zoo's Animals to Kingfield!

GSZ's animals and Educators have appeared on the Martha Stewart Show, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Fox-25 (Boston), as well as delivering over 1700 educational outreach presentations per year across Northern New England, while also working to build a new public Zoo in Southern NH!

In 2008 they were also a part of the Animal Planet Expo Tour, and today have their own "Wildlife Encounters" TV Show that airs in communities across the area. Don’t miss this rare opportunity.

This is a hands-on show & educational opportunity & everyone is welcome.
Showtime is at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 23
WEBSTER HALL, School St., Kingfield.
Children under 12- $5.00 Adults-$7.50, Families (4 or more)-$20.00

Proceeds to benefit the Friends of the Highland Mountains



WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU THERE!

Open for Business... but NOT For Sale!

Well, it is official. The State of Maine has re-established its credibility and integrity to the People of Maine. Wow, does that feel good!

As you know, I’ve recently expressed grave concerns about the ‘offer’ levied in the permit application of Highland Wind LLC (the limited liability corporation owned by former governor Angus King and Rob Gardiner) to Maine’s Department of Conservation. Highland Wind LLC is asking permission to construct a 39 turbine grid-scale wind energy facility atop the mountains of rural Highland Plantation. Under the ‘tangible benefits’ section of that application, the owners of Highland Wind LLC made this offer to the Agency which would be determining the fate of their multi-million dollar project:

“For the Maine Department of Conservation, Bureau of Parks and Lands: Highland Wind will provide $1,040,000 to the Maine Department of Conservation, Bureau of Parks and Lands (BPL)over a twenty year period, as a “donation for land or natural resource conservation” pursuant to 35-A MRSA §3451 (1-C) (C). This land or natural resource conservation will be comprised of two Elements:…”

http://www.maine.gov/doc/lurc/projects/Windpower/HighlandWind/Highland_DP4862.shtml

In layman’s terms, Highland Wind LLC was offering a bribe to the very Agency which will be deciding the fate of their development. That was unacceptable. At best—it created a conflict of interest. At worst… it was a blatant bribe. So you can imagine the delight I felt when the following “Agency Comment” was published on LURC’s website today:

“BPL (Bureau of Parks and Lands) declines to accept this proposal. The Bureau’s current policy is to remain neutral in these proceedings, and acceptance of such benefits is viewed as a conflict of interest…”

Acceptance of such benefits is viewed as a conflict of interest….Oh, yeah.

You can’t blame me for smiling when I read that, can you? I hope not. For, you see, concerned citizens have been trying to engage our State Agencies in this ‘wind’ issue for years, and we’d almost given up hope of receiving anything other than politically correct answers which circumvented the real issues. But here, finally, we have proof that a State Agency recognized when it was being put into a compromising situation.


I don’t know about others, but my faith is slowly being restored. Last week the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife submitted comments detailing exactly how the Highland project would pose a significant threat to several threatened and endangered species. And today, the Department of Conservation made it clear that it would not be a party to extortion.

Maine may be “Open For Business” but it is not “For Sale”.

Yep. There’s hope for us, yet.

David vs. Goliath, and a Mayfly vs. a King

On April 13, 2011, Maine’s Land Use Regulation Commission posted ‘Agency Review’ comments to the Highland Wind LLC permit page of their website. These comments are solicited from different state agencies which may have opinions on--or knowledge about--the potential impacts of a development such as the industrial wind project proposed for Highland Plantation’s mountains.

What I read from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife caused a wide grin. An ease of pressure in my chest. A lightening of my heart. For the first time in a year and a half, a Maine State Agency had actually given me a ray of hope. Not just hope that the Highland project could be defeated, but some optimism that perhaps the people and the natural resources of Maine will not continue to be sold down the river.

These comments show beyond any reasonable doubt that Angus King’s and Rob Gardiner’s proposed development is not suited for Highland’s mountains. That if built, the turbine facility will cause grave—if not irreparable—harm to the wildlife, ecosystems and environment of the region… harm which may very well have a cumulative effect on species in other parts of our state. The concerns addressed in the IFW’s comments are just a few of the many which we have been speaking about ever since the development proposal was first made. Finally, a state agency has acknowledged that we were right.

Below are a few of the highlights from the report.

“Northern Bog Lemming. We have significant concerns that the proposed development will have undue adverse impacts to this series of wetlands along Witham Mountain and believe that maintaining the integrity of this complex is critical to the local population of this Threatened species.”

“Roaring Brook Mayfly (State-Endangered) and Spring Salamander (State Special Concern)… The magnitude of project area within occupied stream habitat is of great concern and poses a high potential for undue impact to both species.”

Bats: “MDIFW is greatly concerned that this proposed project poses a significant long-term mortality risk to both resident and migrant bats.”

“Nocturnal Migrants and Diurnal Raptors: The passage rates of nocturnal migrants and diurnal raptors through the project area are among the highest reported for projects in Maine…The proposed Highland Wind Project has some of the highest recorded passage rates through the rotor-swept zone, and is among the highest passage rates (targets/km/hour) of any project reviewed by MDIFW…Absent a commitment by the applicant for significant operational mitigations (e.g., seasonal curtailment of turbines during migration periods), there are no plausible strategies to mitigate risks to migrating birds at this time.”

Vernal Pools: “MDIFW contends that the applicant has not yet provided enough information demonstrating that impacts to SVPs (Significant Vernal Pools) cannot be avoided entirely.”

Conclusion: “We conclude that the collective wildlife concerns detailed above demonstrate that this is not an appropriate locality for an intensive wind energy installation such as that currently proposed by Highland Wind Power.”

So, there we have it. A State Agency has determined that the Highland wind project poses a serious risk to Maine’s wildlife and the habitat which supports it. Will this be enough? Will our former governor care more about the state he once shepherded, than he does about building his industrial wind development? Will this cause him to withdraw his permit, when nothing else has? Once upon a time, I would have thought, ‘yes’. Once upon a time I was naïve and trusting, and I didn’t fathom the deep-seated desire to make money, no matter what the costs to neighbors, natural resources, or a way of life.

But now, I’m not so sure. Now, I’m cynical. I seem to look for the negative in everything positive. Now, I am picturing other scenarios… none of which bode well for the inhabitants of this region.

I think about the millions of dollars Mr. King is quoted as having spent on compiling his application, and I wonder if he and Mr. Gardiner can turn back. Are they willing to let it go, or are they thinking that—since they’re already in for a penny, they may as well be in for a pound, and they should fight this to the bitter end on the off-chance that they’ll be successful? That their investment will secure those great rewards they’ve been seeking?

If that is what they decide, what will happen next? Will the owners of Highland Wind LLC attempt to offer ‘mitigation’ to the IFW, in the hopes that the department will take their money and drop their opposition to the project? As pertains to these wind developments, ‘mitigation’ is an act where a wind developer offers to protect the flora and fauna in another area of the state by establishing (or enabling the establishment of) a conservation easement, in exchange for being allowed to endanger or decimate the flora and fauna in the location of the proposed development. While the state of Maine has made mitigation an acceptable practice, that doesn’t make it a good one. It’s an ‘I’ll kill a baby here-- but build an orphanage there’ way of doing business which I believe is wrong.

There are still many questions which need to be answered. LURC deemed Highland Wind LLC’s permit application ‘complete’, so intervenors must move ahead within the compressed time mandated by the expedited permitting law and do our best to make our cases. But, while considered ‘complete’ by LURC, there are still many unanswered questions about the application which make it difficult for those who oppose the project to defend our positions.

The applicant was not required to supply the model, make and size of the turbines. That fact puts us at an unfair disadvantage when we must argue the case about sound and how it will affect those living within two miles of the project.

The applicant was not required to prove title, right or interest to all portions of the transmission path from the project to Wyman Station. We know for a fact that Highland Wind LLC does not have all those required deeds, easement and permits, but still… they were allowed to move ahead.

The applicant was not required to prove they have the financial capacity to build their project, either. Instead, they were allowed to submit vague letters of qualified support from financial institutions-- letters which clearly stated that they were not loan guarantees.

And what about the ‘tangible benefits’ section of the application? Will the Department of Conservation (the same department which LURC—the agency deciding whether or not to grant the permit—falls under the jurisdiction of) accept the $750,000.00+ that Mr. King and Mr. Gardiner are offering? If not, who WILL be the next beneficiary of their largesse? Where will the money have the most effect? Will it be offered to the residents of Highland Plantation? The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife? The Arnold Expedition Historical Society?

In a perfect world, these questions wouldn’t need to be asked. But I’ve come to realize that this world is far from perfect, and that money often rules the day.

But… not today. Today, the People are going to be victorious. If my instincts are right, a critical region of this state will be preserved. And that will be, in part, due to the meticulous and admirable work of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

As a woman whose father retired from that Department, I’m feeling very proud.


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Photo of turbine blades and nacelle taken in Freedom, Maine-- Beaver Ridge Wind Development

A Lunar Module (i.e. A Post About the Moon...)

The moon is waxing, and will be full on Monday, the 18th. Patriot’s Day. The day of the Boston Marathon. The day Eli and his class head to Washington D.C. for a week. Oooh!

Some give no credence to the moon’s affect on humans. Many scientific studies have been done over the decades, and there appears to be no empirical evidence to prove that there are more accidents, suicides, births or violent crimes at full moon. Instead, conventional wisdom says that we have been conditioned to believe such things occur with more frequency during that time in the lunar cycle. That due to folklore, and our culture’s fascination with movies with werewolves or themes of bewitching, or even due to anecdotal accounts, we simply look for the unusual at this time, where we normally wouldn’t give such things a second glance.

I’ve always believed that the moon had some pull. (Sorry, you know how I love a good pun. Or even a pun like that!) Without a calendar at my disposal and even during a week of overcast skies, I can tell when full moon is approaching. Call me daffy, but you can’t change my mind. I’ll bet there are a lot of emergency personnel out there who agree with me. Ambulance services and hospital emergency rooms are busier, and the medical problems are different than at other times of the month, too. More accidents, more violence. Dispatch and police details are right out straight. And new moon is almost as bad.

One friend told me that I acted like a ‘lunatic’ at full moon because all my ‘juices were pulled to one side’. I snorted and called him an idiot… after I said “What do you mean, I act like a lunatic?” I gave it some thought, though, and found this:

An unscientific work by Arnold L. Lieber entitled How the Moon Affects You introduces the author's "biological tides theory" which explains that the lunar cycles which cause tides in the ocean also cause them in the human body, since the human body is almost 80% water.

However plausible that sounds, scientists have debunked that theory, stating that the moon’s effect is on unenclosed, uncontained water, only--and that in reality, the draw of the moon alone is negligible. That it is due to the alignment of the more powerful sun with the moon that the tides are affected like they are. They claim we individuals are too small to be influenced.

Hmmmph!

Scientifically proven or not, I’m in tune with my own senses. I feel differently at full moon. I’m more tense. Less patient. More excitable. I feel more alive, more sexual. My senses are heightened, and my trigger is ‘hair’.

I’m not totally dippy. Evidence shows that herbivores (that’d be cows and such) and humans ovulate around the full moon. The height of the deer rutting season occurs around two full moons. Coral mates at the full moon. (How in the world do coral mate? Is that where the term ‘getting your rocks off’ comes from? Um… Sorry.) Migratory birds appear to follow the patterns of the moon for timing and finding their path of migration. Game birds (that’d be partridges and such) tend to return to certain locations at the time of the Hunter's Moon. Bears (omnivores), caribou (herbivores), and salmon(ah… fish!) move at the full moon. Even oysters (I want to say these are bicuspids, but that doesn’t sound quite right…) are sensitive to the cycle of the moon and not simply the movement of the tide.

And vets and dog trainers note that animals are more restless and unruly during a full moon.

Nope, I’m not completely daffy or dippy. What’s good enough for coral is good enough for me. And chances are good…no coral has ever watched An American Werewolf in London.

So, if I ever seem to be a bit of a lunatic, a little hyper or over-sensitive, please lay it to the Man in the Moon. He does it to me every time.

And that, my friends, reminded me of one of my favorite Conway Twitty songs. In closing--and just because I love the moon--here’s a bit of it, if I remember correctly:

“I talked to the Man in the Moon. I said, ‘Sir, is she coming back soon?’ He smiled and he stated, ‘Son, I’m over-rated. I get too much credit in those old love tunes. I don’t know a thing about love. I just kinda hang here, above. I just watch from the sky. Will love grow, will it die? I don’t know a thing about love.

“You know I can move oceans, when I take the notion… or make mountains tremble, or rivers run dry. But in all matters human, remember there’s Someone in charge of those things, way above you and I. I don’t know a thing about love. I just kinda hang here above. I just watch from the sky. Will love grow, will it die? I don’t know a thing about love.’ ”

A 'Luney' Tune, huh? :o)


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Top photo: Moon setting behind Mt. Abram, taken from my bedroom window.
2nd photo: Ali g's full moon, NSW, Australia
3rd photo: Dozy's full moon, NSW, Australia
4th photo: Waxing (4 days from full) moon behind grey birch in my field.
5th photo: 1st quarter moon at the Hill Place in Elliotsville Twp., July 2010 while Larry (from QLD, Australia) was visiting.