DIXFIELD — Fourteen people representing four area towns that are facing potential wind turbine development met Tuesday night to create a new organization known as the River Valley Alliance.

Most opposed such development on the mountains of the area, although some said they weren’t opposed to wind energy.

“We aren’t opposed to wind power,” said Woodstock resident Denise Hall, who with fellow resident, Leola Ballweber, came to the meeting to discuss their opposition to the possible construction of 11 turbines on the Spruce Mountain range in Woodstock by Patriot Renewables LLC. “That scares away people.”

She said the Maine Department of Environmental Protection is slated to make a decision on the Woodstock project by Aug. 6. Then, she said a group in her town will appeal that decision.

Those who support wind power, such as Frank Hutchinson of Carthage, believe wind farms should be built on flat land or out to sea.

“Our message has not been getting out. We’re anti-turbines on the mountains,” he said, adding that the creation of multiple wind farms on the mountains of Maine could result in the state’s death knell.

Patriot Renewables is working toward a possible wind farm in Carthage along portions of the Saddleback Mountain ridge.

Dan McKay and Freemont Tibbetts, both of Dixfield, organized Tuesday’s meeting in the library of Dirigo High School. Patriot Renewables has also presented a tentative plan to construct up to 14 wind turbines on the Colonel Holman Mountain range in Dixfield.

He said the group hopes to organize a public forum that would present both sides of the wind turbine issue, that could include state agency representatives and legislators, noise expert Robert Rand of Brunswick, and others.

The group plans to meet weekly to discuss the possibility of circulating petitions calling for the creation of wind turbine development ordinances in towns that don’t have them, perhaps develop an area-wide wind turbine ordinance, and to get their message out to the general public.

Peter Buotte was one of two people who attended from Rumford. He serves on a wind ordinance committee in that town. If the resulting document is passed, it would regulate a potential plan by First Wind LLC to erect wind turbines on Black Mountain.

He said his committee plans to meet with Rumford selectmen to discuss the proposed ordinance on Aug. 5.

In Carthage, a moratorium on wind development was turned down last month, 48-42. However, resident Alice Barnett said she and others in her town may circulate a petition calling for the development of an ordinance to govern such development.

In Dixfield, a current moratorium ends in October, and a vote on a proposed wind development ordinance will be taken in November. Also, a proposed ordinance that would ban such development on mountain tops, will also be decided by residents. McKay and Tibbetts gathered the signatures to force action on that issue.

Barnett said, too, that she and a friend, Elaine Robichaud, who also attended Tuesday’s meeting, plan to build a traditional Native American lodge near the summit of Saddleback Mountain. Robichaud is an American Indian.

Barnett believes such action would force the construction of a wind turbine much further away from the area because of setback requirements.

McKay said the next meeting, set for 6:30 p.m. on July 27 at the high school, and all subsequent meetings, will be open to the public. He hopes to include guests who are experts in some aspect of wind development and power.

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