ABOUT THE MOUNTAIN RIDGE PROTECTION ACT ALLIANCE

mountainprotector — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 07:27:54 +0000

The Mountain Ridge Protection Act Alliance is a group of concerned citizens from North Carolina who want to see the 1983 Mountain Ridge Protection Act remain strong and we will make sure that this state law continues to protect our highest ridges from commercial development, including industrialization from commercial wind plants. The wind industry is trying to weaken this law and our group plans on fighting them and all who go with them, every step of the way. This alliance is joining with like-minded concerned citizens and groups from this state and other states in protecting our cherished heritage and mountain ridges.

What is the 1983 Mountain Ridge Protection Act?

mountainprotector — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:00:35 +0000

The 1983 Mountain Ridge Protection Act, also called the “North Carolina Ridge Law,” was enacted by the NC General Assembly in 1983 in response to a high-rise resort that was built on Sugar Top Mountain in Avery County. This huge blight on the ridge of sugar top mountain led to public outrage. The public outrage led to a law being written and passed that would protect the highest ridges from ever having that happen again. The law protects ridges at or above 3,000 feet elevation or which are 500 feet or more above an adjacent valley floor, limiting building heights to 40 feet on protected ridges.

The Ridge Law has a provision which specifically exempts “windmills” from the restrictions. This exemption is for windmills, not wind turbines. The exemption is for windmills that generate mechanical energy. Wind industry proponents have tried to weaken this law by stating that the word windmill included wind turbines. In the law it states that each windmill has to be next to a house or structure. Commercial wind turbines are not attached to homes, and they are not slender in nature, they are HUGE.

The 1983 Mountain Ridge Protection Act is written to protect the highest ridges from industrialization. A wind plant is just that, an industrial plant.

Mountain Ridge Protection Act Alliance

ABOUT THE MOUNTAIN RIDGE PROTECTION ACT ALLIANCE

What is the 1983 Mountain Ridge Protection Act?

The 1983 Mountain Ridge Protection Act is written to protect the highest ridges from industrialization. A wind plant is just that, an industrial plant.

I like to point this out to the wind industry. Why would a law give an exemption for the very thing it was trying to prevent?