This is what happens when the Feds own 62% of our land.
Let’s take a trip down memory lane: To start we should discuss some of the great things that the BLM and the U.S. Forest Service have done for Idaho before we talk about these turbines. Do our elected federal Senators and Representatives in Washington D.C. understand the problems we face in our counties and state when the federal government controls most of our land? If they do why haven’t they done anything to rectify this problem? Idaho is a very wealthy state when it comes to natural resources but a very poor state when it comes to accessing those natural resources. Why is that? Because 62% of our land is controlled by the federal government, whether it be the BLM or the U.S.F.S.
Idahoans have to wonder if our Washington representatives have a good working knowledge of the federal laws that govern our land or water. If they don’t know the rules, you can be sure the federal government will continue to lock up millions of acres of our land for conversation and restrict access to these valuable hidden assets within the borders of our state. Our representatives should be working to get back control of our natural resources and not allow them to be confiscated by big business interests with strong government connections. The only way that is going to happen is if they have a clear understanding of how oppressive the federal government’s regulations have been in killing jobs and misusing our resources for decades. The forest reserves were meant to help Idaho’s counties prosper but what they have done by their misinterpretation of rules and regulations is to eliminate prosperity and lock up our land in Wilderness or WSA.
The Feds continue to abuse our lands: These federal land managers have been abusing their claim to 62% of our land for decades and it is time that our elected officials stopped permitting their insane management. From the introduction of wolves that randomly kill cattle and sheep that never belonged here to allowing beetle and Tussock moth infected trees to stay in our forests when these trees if harvested quickly can be sold and used. These infestations on private and state land kill off many more trees in our forests because they are not removed or treated. These trees eventually fall to the ground and litter our forests with the kindling necessary to start the next uncontrollable forest fire. They tell us that prescribed burns are a natural right—regardless of the problems they cause with the pollution and respiratory problems they cause and their potential to get out of control and turn into full-blown forest fires.
Where are the Conservationists on these Turbines? The BLM is going allow the desecration of 82,000 acres of land in the Magic Valley with the advent of this Lava Ridge Wind Turbine project. This will permit the installation of 400 Wind Turbines between 300 and 700ft. high that are not even going to benefit Idahoans as the electricity they generate will be sent to California. Once again, the federal government is confiscating Idaho land to be used for a Wind project that will do nothing to bring any revenue to our state. These robber barons from New York will turn these 82,000 acres into desolate wasteland and even worse when these turbines have to be decommissioned. They will kill off tens of thousands of birds and insects along with pushing out the animals from natural habitat as they build 436 miles of new roads decimating natural vegetation. We should also not forget to mention the negative impact that this project will have on a valuable aquifer and groundwater.
N.Y. is here with Wind Turbines as tall as Skyscrapers: The very thought of 400 Wind Turbines between 300 and 700 feet tall in Lave Ridge is almost surreal. The federal government pretends to be concerned about the environment but what they really care about is big business and pushing their Climate Change agenda. They are destroying our economy with high energy prices for carbon-based fuels and claims that Wind and Solar are the answer to cheap energy. While our Washington left wing politicians drone about how we will be free of carbon fuels in 20 or 30 years the truth is that there is no way this is possible. America would have to rebuild our entire electrical grid to handle 300 million electric cars that will need to be recharged every night. This is the “Pie in the Sky Big Lie” that President Biden and his cronies try to pound into us by any means they can. What they don’t tell us is that once electricity becomes your only means of power, they will be able to turn it on and off with smart meters anytime you step out of line.
Disposing of used Wind Turbines, a conservationist’s nightmare: Turbines are only 30 to 40% efficient and even solar is only effective when the sun is shining. Turbines are still in the early stages of development and many of them installed in the 1919’s and early 2000’s are no longer useful. What the Climate Change Worriers never seems to talk about is what happens when these Wind Turbines are no longer useful and need to be taken down. How do you get rid of their 300-foot-long blades which are made from composite materials that are difficult to break down and will most likely be buried in the ground forever. Will Lava Ridge become the burial ground for these monstrosities of supposed energy efficiency. Will the corporations that put them up ultimately be responsible for restoring the land to its original state when these turbines are no longer useful? Lots of good questions but we don’t seem to be able to get many good answers.
Unlock our land from the grips of the Feds: It is time for our elected representatives, starting with Governor Little to start a process that will release our land from the grips of the federal government. We need to stop giving multimillion dollar tax breaks to companies like Facebook. Amazon and Micron and spend that money on reclaiming our land. We are one of the richest states in the country in terms of natural resources, but we can’t touch them without approval of the federal government. This is the plight of most of our western states. We must ask ourselves why is the federal government entitled to decide what happens to the land in a sovereign state and what is their ultimate goal for the use of this land. If this project is approved it will give you the answer that they will do whatever they please and to hell with what Idahoans want. Why have our elected officials done nothing to reclaim our land?
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. This land belongs to the citizens of these 12 states and needs to be returned to their control.
It is time for Idahoans to raise their voices and stop this confiscation of our land.
If you want to stop this project, you need to comment to the BLM. The Bureau of Land Management Twin Falls District has extended the public comment period for the Lava Ridge Wind Project draft environmental impact statement for an additional 30 days until April 20, 2023.
Substantive comments that identify factual errors, data gaps, relevant methods or scientific studies are the most helpful. Comments must be submitted the following ways:
- The preferred way to comment is through the BLM’s ePlanning project site at https://bit.ly/3uu3BuV. Click on the “Participate Now” button to the right of the document link. Enter your comment and information, then click “Submit.”
- Through e-mail to BLM_ID_LavaRidge@blm.gov.
- Delivered by hand or U.S. Mail enclosed in an envelope labeled “Lava Ridge Wind Project EIS,” to Kasey Prestwich, Project Manager, BLM Shoshone Field Office, 400 West F Street, Shoshone, ID 83352.
