Time is running out if you want to comment on a proposal to ban energy development on Steens Mountain.
The Oregon Natural Desert Association filed a petition to protect Steens with the state earlier this month. It would block all energy development within the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management Area, but the most immediate threat is from wind energy.
ONDA says it generally supports wind development, but adds that Steens Mountain deserves some special protection. It’s asking the Energy Facility Siting Council to include Steens on a list of state protected areas. That includes places such as the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.
Regardless of how you feel about wind, the view of dozens of tall wind turbines dramatically changes the scenery. The impact of large wind farms on wildlife is not well understood. In a press release ONDA says…
“There are appropriate places for energy development in Oregon’s high desert but Steens Mountain is not the right place. Steens is an area that the public has made clear should not be developed, but instead should be permanently protected for its iconic vistas and incredible wildlife habitat.”
The deadline for comments is Friday, May 28. Email them to energy.siting@state.or.us. The council meets June 11 in Burns to consider the petition.
Steens Mountain is protected by federal law ever since Congress passed the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Act in 2000. But ONDA says the law doesn’t specifically prohibit energy development and wants this added level of protection. A Vancouver company, Columbia Energy Partners, proposes building a large wind farm near Burns. It’s being supported by Harney County as a way to create some badly needed jobs.
For More Information:
ONDA: Protect Steens Mountain
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