Save Our Scenic Area (SOSA)

 

 

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Attention:

Updated Skamania County Zoning Changes out for public comment!

Thank you all for your participation in the past public hearings and mailings regarding the proposed zoning changes.  The Planning Commission has completed their new draft of the zoning changes (here).  The County Commissioners had announced a public hearing regarding this new draft, however have recently canceled due to the complaints filed by Friends of the Gorge and SOSA (read more). 

Saddleback Wind Turbine Project

SOSA's current focus is to eliminate or reduce the visual impacts to the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area which will be caused by the proposed Saddleback Wind Turbine Project.

The Saddleback Project, spearheaded by SDS Lumber partnering with Puget Sound Energy, calls for 44 turbines, each over 420 feet tall, a generator building, and staging area.  They will be placed running north-south, spread across a distance of approximately 2.5 miles, as shown here.  They are aligned along the Chemawa Hill ridge, outside the national scenic boundary (60 feet at their closest), and spanning across the power lines that run east-west behind Underwood Mountain.  SDS indicates that some or all of the turbines will be visible (not only during the day, but also at night due to the flashing FAA required lighting) from a good portion of the scenic area in this part of the Gorge (SDS View-shed Impact Graphic).

Starting with organizing as a non-profit entity, “Save Our Scenic Area” (SOSA) has partnered with other local organizations facing similar projects and begun a public awareness campaign.  We are not against wind power or renewable energy.  We are against putting this industrial facility in the wrong location.  The visual impacts to our national scenic treasure, impacts to the Underwood community, coupled with the limited wind energy return, make this site totally unacceptable.  We've created several graphics, depicting the expected views of the project from various vantage points.  All of the turbines are based on manufacturer specifications and the placement is based on an SDS Lumber provided topographic map.

The members of this organization are appalled by SDS presenting photos a showing turbine half it's actual size, showing only one turbine will nine will be visible, misrepresenting the distance to the closest homes, promising tax revenue that may never transpire, declaring noise levels well below manufacturer’s specifications, and their total disregard for the residents of Underwood.  Not to mention that this site is considered "fair" as a wind resource, causing irreparable damage to our scenic treasure, for little public return.

If you'd like to help eliminate or reduce the impact of this project on our national scenic area, here is what you can do.

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Copyright © 2008 Save Our Scenic Area (SOSA)
Last modified: 04/24/08