Northern Michigan residents and state lawmakers are outraged to learn that the state Department of Natural Resources wants to clear 420 acres of forested land to expand a private solar farm.
DNR officials wanted to lease a total of about 4,000 acres of public land from around the state to supplement declining revenues and help the state meet its goal of 100% “clean” energy by 2040. M live Reported. As part of that effort, the DNR settled on 420 acres of woodland just west of Gaylord. Gaylord is a city of approximately 4,200 people located in the northern Lower Peninsula, approximately one hour from Mackinac Bridge.
According to Scott Whitcomb, director of the DNR Office of Public Lands, the location has two important advantages. First of all, it is located near a transmission corridor, which means some of the necessary transmission infrastructure is already in place and easily accessible, he said.
Additionally, private solar power projects in the region have already been approved. “It's a site that could be a viable project if scaled up a little bit,” Whitcomb said.
What's more, parts of it have already been logged and then refilled with red pine saplings, and other areas are used for oil and gas extraction, so the site is “not exactly pristine,” Whitcomb said. said.
Still, Whitcomb acknowledged that the proposal “isn't incredibly popular with everyone.”
He's right about that.
“The bottom line is we have to pay for the work of this agency in some way.”
When MLive's report broke last week, residents and councilors alike were stunned, feeling blindsided by the project, but officials are expected to begin bidding on the lease within days, and construction is already underway. It seems there is.
On January 2nd, Republican state Rep. Ken Boughton, state Rep. Mike Hoadley, and state Sen. Michele Huitenga, who represent Northern Michigan, issued a joint press release condemning the proposal and discouraging the DNR involved. The company reportedly demanded that the employee be fired. WPBN/WGTU.
“These mind-boggling decisions are absolute proof that the DNR is completely rotten to its core,” said Bolton (R-Gaylord). “This deforestation destroys habitat and effectively kills wildlife. To be clear, the DNR is choosing to kill wildlife to build solar panels. .”
“The people who made this foolish decision signed up for the job of protecting our natural resources. Their department is supposed to advocate for outdoor enthusiasts, but instead they sold us short.” added Mr. Huitenga (R-Menton).
“Rural communities will always bear the brunt of this government’s overreach, even if many rural communities don’t want these projects and even if their elected officials vote against legislation that advances them.” Hoadley (R-Au Gres) said in a statement. ). “What’s the point of so-called green energy when we’re cutting down hundreds of acres of trees to install infrastructure to support green energy?”
The three Republican senators said the Michigan Healthy Climate Plan prevents “land-use conversions that would cause a net increase in (greenhouse gas) emissions,” a Harvard University and Chinese study suggests, so the DNR He pointed out that the project may not even be approved. MLive reports that deforestation of land to build solar energy infrastructure leads to a net increase in greenhouse gas emissions.
Whitcomb said he has contacted supervisors in towns that already have sites to let them know about the project. If enough residents express interest, the DNR will “consider” opening the project for public comment, according to WPBN/WGTU.
The United Conservation Club of Michigan has already requested a public comment period, stating in its report: letter DNR Secretary Scott Bowen told DNR Secretary Scott Bowen that the solar farm restricts public access to the area and is “contrary to the department's mission, Governor Whitmer's MI Health Climate Plan, and MUCC's member-driven policies.” ” he said.
Whitcomb suggested to MLive that the proposed lease would cover at least some of the DNR's operating costs. “We are not giving this land away for free,” he said. “That lease income could be spent on natural resource management. So we can't say that's the only reason, but that's what we're thinking about.”
“The bottom line is we have to pay for the work of this agency in some way.”
Do you like Blaze News? Avoid censorship and sign up for our newsletter to get articles like this delivered straight to your inbox. Please register here!
