How much power do we really need and where should it come from?
Across the state people are being asked to sacrifice precious land for the construction of massive 765kV transmission lines that are mounted on erector set-like structures that soar 200 feet into the air and cut a swath 250 feet wide across the landscape of both western and eastern Wisconsin. Land and resources that cannot be replaced.
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One of these lines is the MariBell transmission line that will cut through the heart of the Driftless region. This line, if it were to go through the Driftless area as proposed, will cross miles of land that avoided the assault of glaciers eons ago to now be destroyed by bulldozers to erect gigantic metal towers for the worship of greed.
This line would replace existing 161 kV lines with 765 kV lines that are more than double the width of existing lines. This means taking out trees, prairies, farms and homes for not only people but endangered wildlife.
Tim and Linda Eisele’s log cabin
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The metal towers that soar 200 feet up in the air will be seen for miles away, some on ridgetops may need lights at night. Lights that could harm nocturnal animals and bring diffuse light for all of us who would prefer to see stars at night and occasionally the Northern Lights.
There has not been an established need for this massive line nor is the Driftless region a location worth destroying. This project will place an ever increasing financial burden on utility users who do not even benefit from the line and adversely affect property values in Crawford and Vernon counties. It will cause irreparable damage to the land, air and water as well as the beauty of the Wisconsin landscape that we all love.
It is past time for all Wisconsinites and all those we elect to take a step back and really identify what it is we value and what we want our future to look like. Then act to protect those values! Do electric power utilities, and the regulatory Public Service Commission, only have a responsibility to provide power and not the responsibility to do no harm to the people and native landscape?
Stewardship of Driftless landscape becoming more difficult
We are landowners in Crawford County, Wis., that currently has a 161kV power line going over it and will most likely be right on the route of this new 765kV powerline. We have a cabin that is not connected to electricity, as we are trying to have as small of a footprint on the land as possible.
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We are managing the land to preserve native vegetation and reduce invasive species. Perhaps the greatest invasive will now be the huge metal stanchions. The challenge of being responsible, sustainable stewards of the land has just become harder.
Tim Eisele and Linda Eisele have a cabin on 100 acres of land in the Town of Seneca.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: MariBell power lines would cut through WI Driftless region | Opinion
