J. Lord: Needs of local communities

After reading Jonathan Carter’s rant about a wind power project (Aug. 11), it seems like some folks have the luxury of pontification while the rest of us are left to figure out how to prevent rural Maine communities from becoming ghost towns.

Rural towns such as Bingham are mere shadows of what they once were. Our children can no longer find sustainable jobs here. We have lost manufacturing jobs and witnessed the devastating results of a declining forest-based economy.

Carter calls wind turbines ugly, but how would he describe boarded-up businesses, the views of abandoned homes and farms that are all too familiar in this part of Maine?

Sadly, Carter offers nothing but criticism for responsible and leading environmental groups that understand the need to protect both the area’s ecosystem and the people who live here.

I appreciate rigorous debate and other opinions, but I fail to see the benefit of rhetoric that ignores the needs of local communities.

The Bingham Wind project is proposed on a stretch of land that has been actively logged for nearly two centuries and features a network of existing roads. The project will be built on low-elevation ridges with minimal environmental impacts and no visibility from the Appalachian Trail for eight miles.

I applaud First Wind and others that strive for balance. It may not be as easy or convenient as pontification, but it offers people here a way forward toward a sustainable future.

Jack Lord, Bingham