CARTHAGE — The Maine Department of Environmental Protection has scheduled a public meeting on a proposed 12-turbine industrial wind project for Saddleback Mountain ridge for 6 p.m. March 10 at Dirigo High School.

Although this is not an official public hearing, comments and questions will be taken.

Mark Margerum, DEP project manager, said the agency accepted the environmental application in November. He expects the review to be complete by mid-April.

The $65 million project is proposed for construction on about 1,900 acres of leased or purchased land by Patriot Renewables LLC of Quincy, Mass. Chief operating officer of the firm, Todd Presson, said about 127 acres would be cleared for turbine construction, connecting roads and transmission line routes.

Margerum said several DEP staff, along with representatives from other state agencies, such as the Department of Conservation and the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, will also attend the public informational session.

Prior to the public meeting, the River Valley Alliance Against Wind will serve a free public supper in the community room of the high school from 4 to 6 p.m.

Member Alice Barnett of Carthage said about 100 people are expected to attend from various organizations that oppose wind turbine development. She said several films will be shown, including a flyover of several areas slated for wind turbine development taken by Dixfield resident Freemont Tibbetts, and other videos gathered and shown by Real Wind Info for Me, based in Concord Township, which is next to another site proposed for a wind turbine project.

The Carthage proposal is the furthest along of three similar projects proposed by Patriot Renewables for the River Valley area. The others are a seven-turbine project in Canton along the Canton Mountain ridge, and one for up to 13   turbines  for the Colonel Holman Mountain ridgeline in Dixfield.

eadams@sunjournal.com