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Saturday, August 10, 2002
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Wildlife group votes to oppose wind farm

The state Wildlife Commission voted unanimously Friday to oppose a wind farm planned on Table Mountain near Sandy Valley.

The commission, meeting in the County Government Center, cited concerns about wildlife habitat and a negative effect on bighorn sheep in particular. But citizens and commissioners also objected to having wind turbines visible on top of the undeveloped mountain.

"Visually, it's one thing (disagreeable), but I'm more concerned about the wildlife and habitat," said John Moran Jr., commission chairman.

Tim Carlson, a consultant to the wind power developers, cited another reason: "I think their big concerns are encroaching into the (sheep) hunting area, bringing more people up there."

The developers, NEG Micon of Denmark, Siemens of Germany and Texas financier Boone Pickens, will improve access to the area, he explained. The developers also offered to build water troughs for the wild sheep, rather than fund and wait for a study of the area, Carlson said.

Richard Bunker, a Republican running for the state Senate district that encompasses Sandy Valley, opposed the wind project, calling it "inappropriate for the area." He urged the Wildlife Commission to write a letter to the Clark County Commission objecting to the power plant. The Bureau of Land Management controls the Table Mountain site.

"It's going to be more political than anything else," Bunker said.

Nancy Knight, a resident of Sandy Valley, said Big Horn Sheep "would be extinct in this site (if the wind farm is built). There could also be loss of habitat (for other wildlife)."

Carlson disagreed. He said bighorn sheep have done well around Lake Mead since the federal government built Hoover Dam during the 1930s.

"They're thriving, and they're not actually annoyed by the 3 million visitors," Carlson said.

"I'm certainly concerned about people who would rather not see a renewable energy source, and they would rather see smog and pollution from the (gas and coal-fired) power plants that do that," Carlson said. "When there's smog, it's hard to see the mountain."

Power generated by the Table Mountain wind farm probably won't be available for Nevada residents, Moran said.

"It will probably go down to California," Moran said.

Carlson said Moran was wrong. The wind power developers hope to negotiate a contract to sell electricity from the site to Nevada Power.

Daniel Swanson, chairman of the wildlife advisory board for Clark County, said the wind power developers "were not willing to negotiate with the division or (commissioners) prior to the meeting."

Commissioner Bill Bradley complained about a "total lack of cooperation" from the power plant developers.

Carlson said power plant representatives participated in three previous commission meetings and have scheduled a meeting with the staff later this month. He did not attend the commission meeting Friday but said his clients asked the commission to withdraw the matter from the agenda Friday to permit further negotiation.

He said state wildlife officials "never commented" during the federal environmental impact study on the Table Mountain project.