Scenic Impact

This scenic watershed, which includes the historic village of Grand Lake Stream, has been recognized and vigorously protected by the State of Maine for over a century. Frankly, we are dumbfounded that the Baldacci administration would throw all that away and allow it to be permanently disfigured by the Bowers Mountain Project.

LURC itself called on experts from both private and public sector to conduct a very extensive study of the qualities of lakes within its jurisdiction. Their final report is entitled Maine Wildlands Lakes Assessment. Among other things, this report identifies "lakes with exceptional resource values which merit policy consideration to maintain their existing values". Lakes were evaluated against resource criteria including fish, wildlife, scenic quality, shoreline character as well as cultural and historical features.

The report confirms that our area is probably the single largest linked grouping of Class 1A and Class 1B rated lakes in the State, is unique in its history, its quality of place, and its value as a world renown fishery. Of the sixteen local lakes included in the study, LURC concluded that five of them deserve the highest rating of 1A and four were rated 1B. Both ratings denote a lake of statewide significance and all of them were recognized for their scenic character. The LURC study concludes with the following statement:

“The next step is for the Commission to consider the actions that should be taken to shift development pressures among lakes to protect those with exceptional resource values...”

If you look at the following map, you'll see when the Governor's Task Force on Wind Energy decided which parts of the State should be put on the fast track for industrial wind development, they specifically excluded the Downeast Lakes Watershed from the Expedited Wind Development Area. Obviously the Task Force recognized the area's unspoiled scenic quality and its economic value to the State when they made the conscious decision to exclude it.

LURC's Land Use Districts and Standards, title 35, definitions, page 2 defines "scenic resource of state or national significance" as "an area or place owned by the public or to which the public has a legal right of access that is... one of the 280 great ponds in the State's unorganized or deorganized areas designated as outstanding or significant from a scenic perspective in the "Maine Wildlands Lakes Assessment".

This means that by LURC's own definition, all of the following lakes in our watershed constitute a scenic resource of state or national significance:

Even though none of these lakes fall into the Expedited Wind Development Zone, they will be permanently wounded by the Bowers Mtn Project. Bowers Mountain and Dill Ridge lie immediately north of this protected area, close enough that their impact will be felt far into this precious area which the Governor's Task Force specifically excluded from industrial wind development. The following map shows just how much the project will infringe upon the outstanding lakes in the unexpedited zone:

The following topographical map shows greater detail. Because Bowers Mountain stands 1,127 feet high, a 400' or 500' turbine will be visible from the entire area with the exception of small 'shadow' areas immediately behind hills. Obviously the turbine icons are not accurately placed. We could not fit 27 turbine icons on the map. Click on the map to download a more detailed PDF version.

Clearly the Bowers Mtn Project violates LURC's clearly written standards which they created to preserve the scenic, natural beauty of the area.

What is beautiful?  What is ugly?

Some people will argue that seeing the turbines should not be an issue at all. In a meeting held at Carroll Plt on May 22, 2010, First Wind's Neil Kiely when asked about the visual impact, replied "Personally, I think they're beautiful!" Some people say they look like modern sculpture. In a promotional video on First Wind's website, Mike Cianchette, Former Operations Manager for the Stetson Project gushes:

"The only way I can describe them is Art Deco. They have such an Art Deco look to them. They're stylish. They are beautiful. I love them!"

There are places for manmade art, be it modernist or art deco: in art museums! These behemoths should not scar (or even adorn, depending on your point of view) such a valuable scenic landscape as we have in the Downeast Lakes Watershed. Those of us who live here and recreate here do not come in order to view a massive 'sculpture garden' on the horizon. We make great sacrifices to live and visit here so that we may enjoy an unspoiled natural relationship with the environment. We don't want man-made art (if that's what it is) imposing on the very different order of the natural world.

This project will offend the sensibilities of the average person. Imagine someone from away who has spent hundreds of dollars to come here for a vacation. They paddle their canoe away from the dock only to be confronted by a horizon full of illuminated rotating steel giants. This person will be shocked and offended, because it is out of character with its surroundings and significantly diminishes the scenic qualities of the area.

It will be a tragedy if First Wind is allowed to irreparably change this area. We are stewards of this great natural beauty for our very short lifetimes and want to make sure we pass stewardship on to the next generation with the area's key qualities fully intact.