Did you know that there is an effort underway to build a wind turbine in Pocahontas County?

Did you know that the State of Virginia is allowing a developer to build a turbine system that will be partly located in WV?

Did you know that the wind turbine system could have a dramatic effect on the viewshed of one of Pocahontas County's most significant historical sites?

I didn't!

I got a call from a very concerned citizen who tells me that there is a full-blown effort going on at this time to establish this system right on the state line near Camp Allegheny?

Ironically, there was an re-enactment up there this weekend and your read on the front page of the Pocahontas Times about the importance of Camp Alleghey. Well there is another side to the story.

Camp Allegheny may well be threatened by this development. Fortunately, a couple of our county commissioners are on the issue. Reta Griffith is dragging her feet on the matter as is to be expected. Saffer and Fleming are quite concerned! In fact, David provided actual video on etater of the re-enactment.

What is needed at this point is information. We will be getting info out on this very soon.

The local radio station had good coverage of this issue recently. The story is in the news archives on their Web page:

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wvmr/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1534362/AMR.Local.News/Building.Permit.For.Highland.New.Wind.Not.Likely.Anytime.
Soon.

Also, the home page for Allegheny Mountain Radio has a nice slide show of more Durbin Days photos.

I was talking about this just last week with a friend from Bath. This has been in the planning for along time. I didn't know that it would also extend on WV land. So if it does it has to have the permission from the state of WV. However if it stays within the boarder of VA, then there really isn't anything we can do. Other than a formal complaint. But like the so called green energy, everyone wants it just not in there back yards.

This is the big drawback, everyone wants the energy, especially the progressive crowd, but no one wants to be burdened with it. Every form of energy or production has drawbacks, reason why we still rely on fossil fuel so much. No one wants to take the responsibility, or the downsides. I'm torn like everyone else I like the idea, but not the location. But if we want our lights and AC we have to sacrifice something for it. We want to save the mountains, but want to stay at our current standards of living. We want to keep everything as natural as possible, but want to live as unnatural/tech savvy as possible. You cann't have it both ways unfortunately. One has to suffer for the other, at our current technology level.

Oh, yeah, Part of it is in Virginia. I had a man visit me from Highland County today and bring information which we will soon publish!

Apparently, Virginia doesn't care too much about what West Virginia thinks about its wind farm!

There was a follow-up on today's Allegheny Mountain Radio news. This is still in planning, but one issue still to be resolved is the viewshed from the Allegheny Battlefield.

From County Buildings

From County Buildings

From County Buildings

From County Buildings

Right now I support wind energy; especially in Highland county where Dominion already has transmission lines, however I am willing to change if anyone can complete my challenge.

The challenge is:

Turn off all power. Do not use anything that you have that is produced with electricity, do this for thirty days and if you survive I will become a follower. Don't cheat, you wouldn't would you Norman?

Let me know how it is going in a week, OH I forgot it takes energy to use the computer or phone. So in thirty days let me know or NOT!

Wrong, it has nothing to do with the Northern end. They are going up on the other side of Kennison Mountain going towards Richwood. They have already cleared the trees and land on the left side of the mountain where they are going. Charleston is fighting it right now because none of the power will be utilized in West Virginia, and when complete it is supposed to only create 60 jobs. Camp Alleghany is nothing but a rumor.

Certainly Norman can't be wrong again? Moderator the wind farm I believe you are speaking of is the Beech Ridge in Greenbrier Co. back toward Duo,Cold Knob

Most Recorder articles and editorials on the subject of Highland New Wind Development are posted on VaWind.org.

Believe it or not I thought I was wrong about ten years ago for a day and then I discovered that I was right after all!!! Mistakes do happen to the best of us.

norman sounds like you are for zoning in a state that you don't live in.you need to quit hanging around marty and the rest of the zoners.if you don't like the view toward virginia then don.t look that way.some people can.t see the forest because of a couple of dead trees.

True, but sometimes people can't see the forest for the 400 foot wind turbines on the ridge!

how about the 400+ ft telescope blocking the view of the valley

Oh, are you referring to that telescope that is sitting on top of the Civil War Battlefield of Greenbank? Isn't that the same battlefield where Stonewall Jackson got his horse shot out from under him? Isn't that the same battlefield where Robert E. Lee fell in a groundhog hole and busted up his knee? Or maybe that is the same battlefield where U.S. Grant got a hold of some bad moonshine and nearly went blind.

the windmills will not hurt the battlefield.no equipment or dirt will be moved anywhere near the battlefield.the historic value of the battlefield will not be hurt.

Been here says a few wind mills won't hurt the battlefield. Can you imagine the great pyramids of Egypt with windmills in front of them or perhaps the Eiffel tower with windmills on both sides? Or perhaps windmills in front of the Lincoln Memorial or in front the Vietnam Veterans Wall Memorial or above the ridge line of Arlington Cemetery? My point is that this civil war battlefield site and camp is a monument to fallen dead and our treatment of that site like these others I have mentioned deserves respect.

O.K. where do you want them? Remember there are only a few ridges here in the East that make them feaseable

Shiner,

Not in sight of the battlefield...dawg...

Did they fight on all the ridges?

shiner,

Pretty much, you may not be familiar with the area, there are trenches everywhere...dawg...

By the way Shiner, Thank you for your Service...

you don't want the wind towers built because you can see them from the battlefield does that mean nothing can be built in the valley or ridges that can be seen from the battlefield.what about the northern camp are you going to save it too.is every place where someone shot at someone or was killed going to be preserved and nothing built that can be seen from it.more people died from infection and sickness than was killed in battle.to hear some people talk this was the center of the war and as important as the lincoln mem. or arlington cemetery when in fact it was just a dot on map

Been Here,

You are stretching what I said.

I don't want wind towers looming over the Battlefield...dawg...

The last person to belittle a piece of property with the phrase "its just a dot on the map" was James Carpenter. Something does not have to be the size of Montana to be important!

283 Americans died there on the morning of Dec.13th, 1861 and countless were wounded.

The wounded and war weary succumb to infection and disease, they were still victims of war.

Don't belittle men that died for what they believed in...dawg...

Dawg
This brings up a question in my mind. It takes us off subject but was the Civil War about slavery or States Rights.
As you can see I am not real good on history.

Shiner,

There were slaves in the North...dawg...

It was an Industrial North overpowering an Agricultural South, more or less "Taxation Without Representation" and infringing on States Rights.

It was a "Cultural War"...

outside looking in[marty]you know what happened to james when he wanted to take someone's property.telling other people what they can build on their property is wrong.dawg do you know how far from the battlefield the turbines will be built and how many can be seen.i was not belittling the people who died there.i do find it difficult to understand why you want to tell other people what they can do with their land and infringe on other state's rights when this was what they were fighting for

Been Here,

Which side???dawg...

I just said I don't want to see the Battlefield defaced...dawg...

I'm NOT Martin Saffer. I moved to the county a couple of years ago and have come to love this area and the people here. I do support both Martin and David on many of the issues currently facing the county. I have yet to hear Rita's opinion on this particular matter.