McCain Closure Rumors

[Honda90 0]

My buddy's neighbor commented to him that he should ride McCain while he can because the wind turbine project will mean closures. Anyone know anything?

http://iberdrolarenewables.us/tulewind/about/index.html

[Honda90 0]

Found this ... http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/elcentro/nepa/tule.html

[REV5 0]

Damn that sucks

[Bp619 104]

Nooo!!!

[Vacman 0]

As with any wind project, less than two percent of the land in the project area will be occupied by the wind power production equipment. The rest of the area will remain available for existing uses, such as hiking, rock-climbing and off-highway vehicle recreation. All existing roads and campgrounds in McCain Valley will remain open to the public.

[Bagstr 287]

Reading through the BLM doc, The turbines are indeed being placed on the Thumb Rock ridge ( star on map Figure 3, page 22 or so )

1.3 Section states what is being approved, namely Right of Way. No mention of the OHV area or any restrictions.

The Comment period was in 2011. Down in the Dez, there are no restrictions for riding under the Wind Turbines to my knowledge.

This appears to be a small part to the Larger Tule Wind Project of 2011 ROD.

Further study needed / Call to El Centro BLM regarding status of trails.

Claims power to supply 65,000 homes.

[robertaccio 406]

I love this stuff, get tickets for trampling on out of bounds land.........then they plow it down and put up a project. I will not go any farther on my response, but suffice it say it wont be closed for me.

[amgems 79]

I had read earlier that this project is endorsed by a number of off road groups. SDORC is one I remember. I read this a few years ago. This project has been in the works for a few years.

[Bp619 104]

Yeah they say only 2% of the land will be used until they clear 5 acres around each wind turbine and areas for access to each one as well

[Motoed 1]

This is Ed. president of SDORC. I have been active with SDORC a long time and I have never wanted windmills at Lark Canyon. I fought it vigorously through comments and getting others to comment. Another off-road group backed having windmills in Lark. That was the group that makes up Ecologic, who works to help off-road problems. They made a deal that if they go for windmills, they get money for Lark Canyon. I don't remember how much, but its a lot relative to what the place needs. They were gonna put them in about 8 years ago. I went out there and met with the people from the project. They want to put 17 in Lark, 100 in all of McCain Valley. I really tried to keep them out of Lark. That project went away because the State figured how to reach the 20% renewable energy mandate without that project. Now the State needs 30%, in a few years 50%. So a different company wants to bring them to Lark now. The company 8 years ago was Eberdrola, a Spanish company. I commented that its not even an American company, all profits go to Spain. That's how we use American public land? I commented that windmills can cause fires and linked to a video of a windmill near Palm Springs on fire.

This land (Lark) is managed by the El Centro BLM office. They have told me that windmills will not stop dirtbikes in the area. The windmill people actually told me we will get more trails. They are counting the wide smooth dirt road that goes between the windmills as trail. I personally hate the whole thing. I have ridden out there lots of time, even won the Advanced class in observed trials a few times there. Windmills, may not close the place, but it won't feel like it does now. I always feared some kid would park his bike and chuck rocks at the blades. So he breaks a blade, the windmill people will scream and yell. Those windmills cost like $5 million each. So what happens when there is a conflict? Who wins? Not us. Its possible everything will be fine. Only time will tell. If anyone has any more questions on this or other OHV land use stuff, email me at info@sdorc.org.

[Bp619 104]

Is there a petition thats going to be started or even a hearing

[350thumper 336]

There's gonna be more trails alright.

Hidden ones.

One day we will be smart enough to prevent this kinda stuff from happening.

Till then lets crack open a cold one and throw some roost!

Who is with me brothers!

(Please don't roost near the fan blades as they cost. $ 600,000,0000 or what ever).

[amgems 79]

Ed, I apologize. I read an article a few years ago and it appears I got my groups mixed up.

[robertaccio 406]

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