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Re: [RC] Wind Farms near Virginia City and Carson City not off topic - Kathy MayedaOne of my barn buddies is a wildlife biologist charged with inventoring raptor kill at the Altamont pass wind farms. She sent us a picture of a beautiful horned owl that had it's wing sheared off by a blad and had to be put down at the rescue center. I believe there are wind turbines that have blades that are a little more bird friendly. I don't think wind farms are much of a fire risk - at least at Altamont - because it sits on a pretty barren hillside. Someone just told me he took Amtrak from Martinez to Fresno and saw a large wind farm he didn't know existed before. Remember, wind is renewable energy and does not produce carbon in the air. There are plus sides to this. I don't think the two windfarms mentioned above are in desirable riding areas anyway, and it could be the case for the proposed wind farms too. K. On Tue, Dec 2, 2008 at 10:20 AM, <Sheila_Larsen@xxxxxxx> wrote: I saw this article and thought people might be interested if you ride in this area or if there are rides in this area. I don't know enough about the area to know. Wind turbines are particularly fun when they shed the 115 -170 foot long blades.... Let alone the fire risk and oh they make that lovely whomping noise.. (That is a personal comment that I have seen and heard). There should be a Federal Register Notice that may give more information I am suprised that information wasn't included. If you want information about scoping meetings feel free to email me. VIRGINIA CITY, Nev. -- Federal land managers said Monday they will gather public comment and assess the potential environmental impacts of a proposal to build dozens of wind-power turbines on the mountains north of Carson City and west of Virginia City. Great Basin Wind LLC has submitted an application to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management for a right of way to build and operate the New Comstock Wind Energy Project near the 1860s-era tourist destination that has been designated a National Historic District. BLM officials said they will conduct a public scoping meeting on Dec. 10 to identify issues and concerns as they begin work on a formal environmental impact statement on the commercial wind farm. Plans call for it to include an estimated 69 wind turbines capable of producing up to 192 megawatts of electricity, enough to power up to 192,000 homes, agency officials said. The towers would be anywhere from 210 feet to 330 feet tall, each with three blades 115 feet to 170 feet long, they said. The turbines would be connected to a proposed electric substation with approximately 20 miles of underground electrical distribution system. An overhead transmission line also would need to be built to connect the new substation to an existing one operated by Sierra Pacific Power Co. about 5 miles away near U.S. Highway 50 east of Carson City. A series of access roads also would have to be constructed as part of the project. Most of the wind turbine towers would be installed within the National Historic District and about half would be in the Comstock Historic District. The company map shows the ridge line above American Flat (above Mound House and to the west of Gold Hill) where tracks are being laid for the reconstruction of the V&T Railroad as one location where turbines would be visible on the Comstock side of the mountain range. Another cluster on the map shows turbines atop Scott Peak above Virginia City where the Virginia City High School's giant white V is on the mountainside. Other turbines would be visible from Gold Hill. The BLM's scoping meeting is scheduled from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Dec. 10 at the BLM's district office in Carson City. Comments will be accepted through Jan. 30, 2009. Thanks, Sheila "For if one link in nature's chain might be lost, another might be lost, until the whole of things will vanish by piecemeal." - Thomas Jefferson =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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