How YOU Can Help!

The Answer My Friend is NOT Blowing in The Wind...

Please send your letter to the Coconino County Board of Supervisors and the Community Development Commission.

Coconino County:  http://coconino.az.gov

PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION

DIRECTOR: William L. Towler, FAICP
ADDRESS: 2500 N Fort Valley Road, Building 1 Flagstaff, Arizona 86001
PHONE:  (928) 679-8850 or 1-800-559-9289 Fax (928) 679-8851
HOURS:  8am-5pm

IMPORTANT DATES:

October 28, 2010 - Permit Request for Wind Testing Towers on Babbit Ranch, CO Bar Ranch, and Espee Road Ranch (near the Aubrey Cliffs)

December 2, 2010 - Town Hall Meeting Sponsored by CCCRRE and SOWOS at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel, Williams, Arizona 6:30pm

December 16, 2010 - SPECIAL HEARING at the Coconino County Arts Bldg. Fort Valley Rd., Flagstaff, Arizona - 5:30pm - for citizens to express their concerns over NextEra's permit request for the installation of sixty-two wind turbines within the Grand Canyon Corridor - Perrin Ranch Wind Project

Tons of information provided on this site www.cccrre.com 

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SAVE THE GRAND CANYON CORRIDOR

CANYON COUNTRY CITIZENS FOR RESPONSIBLE RENEWABLE ENERGY

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.  Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." 

One thing is clear: The environmental community must view wind power projects as they would any other type of industrial development.  To prejudge wind power projects, and indeed to blindly support them regardless of the environmental consequences, is just wrong. Even the most well thought out position on renewable energy must not overstep common sense.   http://www.aweo.org/Frey.html


We are a group of concerned citizens who live near the Grand Canyon. We recently learned that NextEra Energy and APS (Arizona Power Service) are planning to build several industrial wind power plants in Coconino County.

We are not opposed to renewable energy resources that are appropriate for our community but we are opposed to the placement of wind turbines across the open vistas surrounding our communities and approaching Grand Canyon.

We feel that the AZ Corporation Commission and the Coconino County Planning and Zoning Board have not done their due diligence in determining which renewable energy resources will work best in this area. Studies done by the AZ Department of Energy (AZDOE) and Northern Arizona University have shown for years that wind power is not an ideal energy source for this area. We believe that our county planning and zoning commissioners and Board of Supervisors need to declare a moratorium on all permits for testing towers and turbine installations now.  We also expect that our county officials should do their own independent studies to determine the best renewable power sources for our area with input from the citizens and not rely solely on the studies provided by APS or their partners - in this case, NextEra Energy.

This area currently has a dual power source: some neighborhoods use APS power while others are off-grid communities which have found solar power to be the most reliable and cost-effective method to power their homes. The AZDOE and the local solar/wind vendors have advised off grid owners for years against installing wind turbines as the quality of the wind here is not conducive to producing enough power to maintain our homes. Solar power has been recommended in every case as the most cost-effective method of alternative energy generation. We have at least 300 days of sunshine a year, whereas, wind is infrequent and unpredictable.

Millions of tourists come here from all over the world to spend their hard earned dollars to experience the timeless beauty of the Grand Canyon corridor with its unspoiled beauty and grand vistas. Imagine their dismay as they drive up Hwy 64 only to see this formerly pristine landscape now industrialized for miles in every direction. Imagine the confusion of passengers on the Grand Canyon Railway hoping to relive a bygone era. They expect an old west experience with its old-fashioned train robbery, yet their masked train robbers are wearing baseball caps with iPods dangling from their ears. Sort of destroys the whole image, doesn’t it?

Our group believes there must be serious discussions regarding which renewable energy resources will be used in certain locations of Arizona. We need standards which will consider the impact on our wide open spaces, wildlife, property values, and local economies.

Our rural economy relies heavily on tourism and hunting income - both of which will suffer if wind farms are constructed here. Although we are not all hunters, we anticipate a negative impact upon large game animals from these proposed wind turbines. The predictable devastation of our avian populations: nesting eagles, red-tailed hawks, condors, vultures, ospreys, bats, burrowing owls, and countless other species with their carcasses scattered at the foot of each wind turbine is also likely to disturb the balance between predator and game populations.

The timeline set by the federal government should not force us to rush headlong into something that we will regret for decades to come. Good planning is vital to doing this right.

We need your support in requesting that the Coconino County Planning and Zoning Board declare a moratorium on all permits for testing and installation of industrial wind power plants until guidelines can be established that determine which renewable energy resources are best suited for our area and other areas across our state.

Please attend the DECEMBER 16, 2010 Planning and Zoning Meeting!   

LOCATION:  Coconino County Center for the Arts, Fort Valley Rd., Flagstaff

TIME:    5:30 PM

Please Join us and Support our call for a MORATORIUM on conditional use permits until the county can develop their own renewable energy plan with input from citizens!

Wind Turbines and Your Health

 Dr. Nina Pierpoint, M.D., Ph.D. 

 http://www.windturbinesyndrome.com/