The Maine Land Use Regulation Commission made the right decision in rejecting the two industrial wind power proposals on top of Redington and Black Nubble mountains. These two mountains are in the heart of Maine’s high peaks area, the key natural asset in developing Franklin County’s future as a world class ecotourism destination. Just as Lewiston-Auburn promotes urban aesthetics as a key asset for its evolving creative economy, so northern Franklin County deserves the chance to promote its natural high peaks aesthetics to support its evolving quality of place ecotourism-based economy.

Maine needs new alternative energy sources, but our greater need is to learn how to conserve energy. More local wind and other alternative energy systems should be sited in everyone’s backyard, not hidden among our high peaks, so that we all pay more attention to our consumption levels.

The Sun Journal editorial’s criticism of the LURC decision is unfair and misguided (Jan. 16). The citizen commissioners carefully followed the planning and regulations for this especially valuable part of Maine’s unorganized territories. The new campaign to invade LURC’s jurisdiction through a task force recommending a special industrial wind site authority seems designed to favor industrial promoters. Maine needs more special places of high quality, not more special platforms for special interests.

Chris Beach, Wilton


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