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it upward until you find the split and eventually the bird. If you lose track or focus, start all over again from the beginning, using just your eyes to relocate the tree. So, I’ll need proper clothing, water and snacks, binoculars and a park map. Anything else? Believe it or not, that’s all you need to enjoy a walk with the winged wonders! Should you want to learn about the birds you are seeing, there are beginner field guides. Try out a friend’s guide or one from your local library, or visit the Nature Nook for assistance selecting something easy to use. Tilting at Windmills? by Chad Jeffery Pollution concerns, higher fuel costs and electrical system failures due to energy shortages have contributed to a changing attitude and approach to public policy on energy use throughout North America. Alternative energy sources such as solar power, wind energy, and biomass are no longer restricted to expensive pioneer projects at the poles being profiled on Nature Page Regardless of the time of year, keep in mind proper etiquette when using a park trail. Stay on the trails and footpaths, never straying into the bush. It is illegal to pick flowers or plants from a national park, or to remove rocks or foliage. Be mindful of others stopped along the trail by passing by quietly so as not to disturb the photos they are setting up or the wildlife they are viewing. Avoid cornering, chasing or ‘flushing out’ a bird or other wildlife. Do not use recordings or other methods of attracting birds – not even whistling calls. These exhausted migrants have traveled thousands of kilometres and it is the job of the national parks program to protect them. As such, you should of Things. Here in the southernmost tip of Canada, the County of Essex is currently creating a renewable energy policy that may open the door for the erection of hundreds of wind powered turbines throughout local municipalities. The government encourages alternative energy source development. There are incentives to establish new energy systems that will feed the power supply of a region. One such incentive is the Ontario Power Authority’s Standard Offer for alternative energy projects. In short, this program guarantees 11.0 cents per kWh of energy produced from renewable energy generating projects of 10 megawatts or less. The intent of the program is to make it easier for small renewable energy generating facilities to contribute to Ontario’s electricity supply by providing power to their local distribution company. Prompted by this offer, and due in Local Opponents The primary group of wind energy opponents locally have organized themselves as the Essex County Wind Action Group. Their website is www.ecwag.org. They also maintain a web page that attempts to gather experiences with wind energy from around the world. You can check these out at www.essexcountywind.wordpress.com. keep stresses in their environment to a minimum. Sounds like a fun opportunity to spend a day in nature. Do I get to invent a noun for myself? If you don’t fit the description of a ‘beginner birder’, or you’re just not ready to commit to the sport, there are many options. You can call yourself an outdoor enthusiast, a hiker, a trail walker, a nature lover, or you can be a plain old park visitor stopping in to enjoy all that Point Pelee offers. Thanks! I’ll work on that! Maybe something with the word ‘casual’ in it, or ‘preebie’ for pre-beginner, or… large part to this area’s flat lands and strong winds, windpower companies such as AIM PowerGen, Wind Prospect and GenGrowth, and proponents large and small have shown keen interest in establishing wind energy projects throughout the Essex County region. These proposals have polarized the public opinion on the issue of wind energy. Although many support wind energy as part of the solution to establishing a better energy mix, there are many who vehemently oppose these projects. The arguments used by opponents are largely based on issues related to aesthetics, health, safety, and bird migration – the latter an issue of particular importance to the Point Pelee community and to Essex County as one of the most biologically diverse regions in Canada. The upper levels of government have provided little in the way of actual guidance and direction towards a widely accepted policy and regulatory environment related to wind energy
projects. As such, and in the face of both interest and concerns raised to date, the Councils of the local municipalities undertook a Countywide comprehensive review to establish a position on wind energy and other alternatives. The planners from the local communities, through the Intermunicipal Planning Consultation Committee (IMPCC), convened to discuss the issue early in 2007. After discussing a number of issues related to wind energy and listening to a presentation by Phil Roberts, a local birding expert, on the importance of the Essex Region as an international bird migratory route, the group determined that an independent and objective regional land use study pertaining to wind energy and other renewable energy would be the most responsible approach. A Steering Committee consisting of the local planners and a representative of the Essex Region Conservation Authority was established and Jones Consulting Ltd., a land use planning consulting firm with extensive experience in the area of wind energy policy, was retained by the County of Essex to conduct the study and develop County-wide land use policy for wind energy and other alternative energy projects. In September of 2007, the final draft of the background report, titled “Windpower and Renewable Energy Planning Study, County of Essex” was submitted to the Steering Committee and ultimately to County Council. The study provided such information as an assessment of regional landscapes, an analysis of policy and environments of other areas where windpower is being used and suggested zoning by-laws and IMPCC The IMPCC does not have any administrative component and there is no website for this organization. regulations. Lexicon, terminology, a planning process and framework and a proposed regulatory environment were also addressed, and a discussion of other alternative energy sources was included. Upon reviewing the contents of the study with the Steering Committee and collectively determining an appropriate policy approach, Jones Consulting prepared a draft set of land use policies. Depending on the nature of the Management Area, various scales of alternative energy projects (wind, solar and biomass) were either permitted as of right, permitted subject to meeting certain criteria (i.e. in and around settlement areas) or prohibited outright (i.e. significant natural heritage areas and bird migratory routes). The draft policy also established minimum setbacks for structures such as wind turbines and solar panels from roads, dwellings and property lines. The draft policies were presented to stakeholders at various public meetings held at the County of Essex Civic Centre. Given the polarized public opinion toward wind energy projects, stakeholder consultation was at times tumultuous with wind energy advocates (particularly wind energy companies and farmers whose lands were optioned for these projects) facing off against opponents of wind energy who raised concerns of noise, aesthetics, property values and impact on wildlife. After listening to the various concerns raised at these public meetings and reviewing numerous written comments from interested parties, the policies were revised and reviewed over the ensuing months. The final draft version of the policies was then presented at a Public Meeting on May 7, 2008 in the County Council Chambers of the Civic Centre, with the intent to balance the interests of the various stakeholders and provide a planning framework for ensuring that alternative energy projects in the Essex Region are developed in the most appropriate areas and in the most appropriate manner from a land use perspective. At this meeting, which lasted roughly three hours, both sides were well represented and County Council members heard the expected arguments for and against the proposed policies. Some of the arguments forced the Steering Committee and its consultant to once again revisit the draft set of land use policies before going before County Council on June 4 for consideration for adoption. It seemed, however, that neither side was completely satisfied with the draft document and it became clear that a consensus on the land use policy approach to windpower and other alternatives would be a difficult one to reach. If County Council adopts the proposed Official Plan Amendment, it will then be forwarded to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing for approval and, barring no appeals, the region could see its first large scale wind farms within the next year. Whether they will be viewed by the citizens of Essex County as unsightly behemoths ravaging the landscape or beautiful sculptures symbolic of a greener future will be debated for many years to come. Feedback We’d like to hear your views on wind energy, and specifically on the erection of windmills in Essex County. Please send a paragraph or two of your comments to thepoint@friendsofpointpelee.com, or mail them to 8 Point Pelee Drive, Leaminton, Ontario N8H V . No phone calls, please. Include your name and phone number or email address (kept confidential) so that we may contact you if we choose to print your comments. Page
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