Public Access

Regardless of where a wind energy project is located, they affect recreational access and activities in different ways. The degree to which proposed wind energy developments would provide for or restrict public access and recreation is an important issue that is often overlooked.

For various legal, insurance, security and safety reasons, wind project developers typically close the area to the public.

An especially important safety concern is the phenomenon of “ice throw”. This can limit winter recreational activities such as snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and back country skiing in the area near the turbines. Today’s wind turbines can throw sizeable ice chunks distances of several hundred yards.

Dr. Terry Matilsky, Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Rutgers University, addresses the kinetics of ice throw..."The bottom line is that ice, debris or anything breaking off the wind turbines blades (including the blades themselves) can impact a point almost 1700 feet away from the base of the turbine…"

The actual range of ice trajectories varies according to the mass and shape of the ice, wind speed and direction, point on the blade when ice is released, the blade angle at the instant the ice is released, and other physical factors. Data is sparse regarding the distances ice is thrown. A 1998 study by the Finnish Meteorological Institute suggested that possibility of being hit by ice thrown off a wind turbine blade diminishes greatly beyond distances of 250 meters or 820 feet. Of course today's wind turbines are much larger and the blade tips move much faster than they did in 1998. In high winds the tips can slice through the air at 200mph.

Bowers Mountain and its environs are used recreationally by local residents as well as seasonal visitors. Bowers Mtn, Getchell Mtn, Vinegar Hill, Brown Hill, Birch Hill and Mack Hill are all popular hiking and snowmobiling areas. Lindsey Brook, Getchell Brook, Wallace Brook and Barker Brook all maintain populations of wild native Brook Trout and attract adventurous anglers. Lindsey Bog, which is immediately north of Bowers Mtn is a popular bird watching area. Many of these activities could be lost once First Wind posts the 5,445 acres they have leased for this project.