Lakeshore property owners face multiple threats

Editor:

Lakeshore property owners are under attack from the north and the south – the threat of wind turbines from the south and property erosion from high water to the north.

Both of these situations should be considered manmade disasters. Our property is considered premium and carries the highest tax assessment of any in Orleans County. The County and the State should be working to protect this pot of gold.

The State is ignoring Home Rule with Article 10 which allows an unelected group to determine wind farm approval regardless of community sentiment. The Governor has big plans for renewable energy and has billions to spend, to make this happen.

We have not heard a peep from the Governor about our area but he went to Long Island, who may have an offshore wind farm off the east end of the Island, and instructed the Power Authority that the setback for these windmills must be 30 miles away from shore. I think Apex needs the same setback restriction. Don’t you agree Governor?

The IJC (International Joint Commission) is a Federal agency, and the DEC (Dept. of Environmental Conservation) a State agency.

The IJC has been in charge of water levels in Lake Ontario since 1960. Their old plan was 1958D and the new edition is called Plan 2014. Under Plan 2014 the Lake is 18 inches higher than the long-term average and the forecast calls for an additional 11 inches by mid-May. The IJC spokesperson blames it on precipitation and storms, not plan 2014. He also explained the Commission expected a small increase in coastal damage from Plan 2014 but it is a very small part of the overall picture. That is either living the dream or CYA. No big problem according to the spokesman.

The problem of high water and the new plan happening at the same time is pretty damning. I am not a big believer in coincidence and we all know government cannot be the blame for not knowing what they don’t know.

I think every property owner has seen erosion of 25 to 50 feet of land since 1970. High banks have become common because of the erosion. Millions of dollars in damage. Land owners have paid millions of dollars to install retention walls to conserve their property and trees. That fits the definition of a conservationist.

I read in Buffalo News a women in Wilson made an application to the DEC to install boulders to protect her property and was denied. She was told to plant trees. Really? Trees could take years to grow. Using the theory put forth by the DEC the lake shore will be on lower Lake Road by the time a tree would mature. The DEC and Army Corp should have an expedited application and approval process. Local politicians could see this coming but were ignored by IJC. The DEC does not seem to understand the problem. The land owner better start praying.

Ray Watt

Town of Yates