JUST THE FACTS, PLEASE!
I'm the Research Nerd for Better Plan for Rock County, or BPRC. My goal is to provide accurate verifiable information concerning the proposed industrial wind farm for both Magnolia and Union Townships. If there is anything on our web site that is inaccurate, contact betterplan.rockcounty@gmail.com. I will be glad to verify your information and correct any errors.
I became interested in this issue after attending a Magnolia township informational meeting on the wind turbine project. I became curious about why there was so much conflicting information about wind turbines. There seemed to be no agreement at all even on things which seemed easy to verify.
The people who want them on their land say the noise they make isn't troublesome, the strobe shadows they cast aren't bothersome, there are no adverse health effects on people living within a mile of the turbines. There is no adverse effect on livestock. There is no adverse impact on wildlife. Property values do not go down.
The people who don't want to live near them say they do make troublesome noise, they do cause bothersome strobe shadows, they do have adverse health effects on people living within a mile of the turbines. There is an effect on livestock. There is an impact on wildlife. Property values will go down.
I wondered at the tension between community members at that meeting and was dismayed to find in my research that division and bitterness between neighbors is all too common when wind turbines come to town. Communities are torn apart and don't recover. I don't want that to happen here.
I listened to both sides at the township meeting and spoke to people on both sides after the meeting and I was reminded of the parable of the blind men describing an elephant.
Who is telling the truth?
The blind man touching the elephant's trunk says one thing, the blind man touching the elephant's backside says something else entirely. They could fight about it all night! And neither one is lying! It's just that neither of them has the whole picture yet.
Clearly, an industrial project of this magnitude will impact all of us in Magnolia, Union and surrounding townships. The one thing all parties can agree on is it will be a VERY BIG elephant. One we may be living with for the next 30 years.
My commitment as the "Research Nerd" is to do everything I can to help our community get the whole picture. I'm fueled by only by coffee, calculator, computer, curiosity, and concern for this Wisconsin community which I treasure.
No matter which side of the issue you are on, please feel free to contact us at betterplan.rockcounty@gmail.com with any questions you may have about the industrial wind farm proposed for Magnolia and Union townships. We'll post them and do our best to find answers. We will not post your name or contact information. The BPRC keeps all contacts confidential unless you request us to do otherwise. We will not share your personal information with anyone.
The next Magnolia Township Board meeting, which everyone is invited to, is on Thursday, December 13, 7pm, at the Magnolia Township Town Hall. Come early to get a good seat!
PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO ASK THE RESEARCH NERD!