Who does these "avian studies"? Can just anyone claim that an "avian study" has been done and conclude that endangering raptors doesn't mean all that much? I agree that National Audubon should be contacted. I will write a letter to The Recorder. Margaret, any information you can provide on language to include in the letter would be helpful. Can I claim that this is a major flyway for migrating hawks? -----Original Message----- From: Heron329@xxxxxxx [SMTP:Heron329@xxxxxxx] Sent: Sunday, August 18, 2002 5:49 PM To: va-richmond-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; AAASlate@xxxxxxx; mvs4@xxxxxxx Subject: [va-richmond-general] CRISIS IN HIGHLAND COUNTY Fellow birders, We have a potential disaster coming to Highland County. There was a long article this week in The Recorder, Highland's newspaper, that an energy company wants to put wind farms along the ridges in Highland County. They are negotiating with the Board of Supervisors for approval of this project, and have said that there are at least 50 miles of suitable ridge line in the county. Bearing in mind that there are Golden Eagles residing year round in Highland County, (I have seen two together many times this summer) as well as Bald Eagles and many other raptors, here is a quote from the article: "Carter {representative of the energy company} said an avian study is completed on an area before each farm is constructed. ' We found it's not the migratory birds or the song birds that are impacted but the raptor birds that are coming down fast for the kill, ' he said." Obviously language designed to appeal to the ignorant who still think raptors don't deserve to live. I dare say that "raptor birds" that are flying along minding their own business would be killed, too, given that there are planned to be 12 or 13 of these farms, each with a minimum of 20 turbines, each with the hub 150 feet from the ground, and with a blade 112 feet long. According to the article, each blade has a sweep area of 42,000 square feet. Let's see, 12 times 20 is 240, 240 times 42,000 is a very big number. In addition to the eagles, I can foresee minced up ravens, hawks of many species, swallows and bobolinks, and despite what he says, many many other species of both resident and migrating songbirds. Another item of interest in the article is that the sound from the turning blades is not bad AS LONG AS YOU STAY INSIDE. Just what I go to Highland County for, to stay inside. I am presently at work on a letter to the editor of The Recorder. I plan to call every member of the Board of Supervisors, the Chamber of Commerce, the owners of the Highland Inn, and every other person I know in Highland County. I did talk with one native of Highland County, and he was all for it. A sheep farmer, he thought killing off the eagles with the turbines was a fine idea. I am really frightened, folks. I know many of you go to Highland County each year. I hope that we can fight this thing, and keep these bird cuisnarts from atop the mountain ridges of Highland County. Otherwise, the only sounds you will hear in a Highland County spring will be the whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, of the wind farms. My husband suggested that some of you might have access to some data about the numbers of birds killed by these things. I need all the assistance I can get. I know many of you have been to my farm along the Virginia/West Virginia line. I am begging for your help. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know. I can be reached by email at heron329@xxxxxxx, my phone number is 804-746-5599, my fax number is 804-746-5128. The address for The Recorder is P O Box 10, Monterey, VA 24465, or you can fax them at 540-468-2048. Letters must be signed, with a phone number where the writer can be reached for verification. I guess this is not really a bird sighting posting, so to make it legal, I will add that there was a successful fledging of one, possibly two, shrike chicks from a nest just outside of Blue Grass this summer. Margaret O'Bryan You are subscribed to VA-Richmond-General. To unsubscribe, send email to va-richmond-general-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field. To adjust other settings (vacation, digest, etc.) please visit, //www.freelists.org/list/va-richmond-general. -- Binary/unsupported file stripped by Ecartis -- -- Type: application/ms-tnef You are subscribed to VA-Richmond-General. To unsubscribe, send email to va-richmond-general-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field. To adjust other settings (vacation, digest, etc.) please visit, //www.freelists.org/list/va-richmond-general.