Scenic beauty worth fighting for

To the editor:
    I am writing to strongly oppose the windmill farm (50 turbines) proposed for the ridge in Oakfield. This ridge is less than three miles from Pleasant Pond and Mattawamkeag Lake in Island Falls. These turbines will reach heights of over 400 feet and will be visible eyesores and heard by everyone within the small towns surrounding Oakfield.
    Since sound intensifies over water, people on the lakes will be impacted health-wise and in their pockets. The only revenue people have in northern Maine is from the tourist industry. Hunters, fishermen, snowmobilers, ice fishing, hikers and water/snow sports of all kinds will be deeply affected. The small grocery stores, gas stations, Vacationland Estates time share units, mechanics, etc. will lose most of their revenue.   
    Studies from Sweden and from sound engineers in this country have identified health problems from the constant sound that create sleeping disturbances, anxiety issues and headaches. I have brothers, a mom who is 93 and many nieces and nephews who live in Dyer Brook and Island Falls.
    My Dad bought a log cabin on Pleasant Pond when I was 13 years old. We moved in every summer and enjoyed all the treasures afforded by living on a spring-fed pond. Today, Pleasant Pond is considered the third most pristine body of water in Maine. I have returned to “Camp” every year for the last 22 years to enjoy the solitude and serenity that this beautiful place affords me and my friends. If you have ever seen the movie “On Golden Pond”, you will have a sense of the magic these rare places offer.
    In my senior year of nursing school, we had to read “Gift from the Sea” by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. This book explains what silence and nature can provide for an individual to renew their spirit, their soul. This is what “Camp” does for me and all my friends who visit and are exposed to this unique place of calm reverence.
    This wind farm will kill this sanctuary. The moose, deer, and red fox — all wildlife for miles around will leave the area. The effect on the llama farm, horses, cattle, birds, loons, etc. will be so detrimental as to be criminal!
    People who live on May Mountain in Island Falls have been approached by First Wind to construct 10 to 15 wind turbines on this land. This ridge stands directly above Mattawamkeag Lake. The rainfall and melting snow running off the clear-cut land will bring silt and debris directly into the head of this lake. The phosphorous and other chemicals that travel with this runoff will damage the quality of the water and impact the great fishing that so many locals and vacationers enjoy. Property values will plummet!
    First Wind does not care about this land. They are simply lining their pockets from the billions of dollars available to them from the federal government. Elected officials use this as a way to promote their support for “Green Energy” and as a way to get votes. Wind energy has already been proven to be inefficient from a total cost of operation perspective and also the inability to have predictable energy generation when the demand requires. We now know that the relatively small amount of energy produced from these huge turbines will not even be provided to the people of Maine … the people who are sacrificing their lifestyle and their economy.
    We all must be good stewards of the land. This is not the way. What will be the consequences if First Wind fails? Who pays to take down these turbines when First Wind goes bankrupt (Solyndra?) because of low profitability? Who carts off the mammoth amount of steel and materials that make up these turbines out of Maine (one blade weighs 5,000 pounds)? Who plants the millions of trees to restore the landscape to its original state? These are serious questions that deserve serious study.
    The permits are now being drawn up. This project will have consequences to the land, the economy, the lifestyle. What will happen to this beautiful, unspoiled land? What will happen to this wilderness, known by locals and visitors alike as “God’s Country”? There are some things in life worth fighting for. This land is one of them.
Gail Webb Davis
Columbia, S.C.