Times Argus: Six wind protesters arraigned

Reposted from Times Argus.

By Daniel Staples

STAFF WRITER – Published: December 21, 2011

BARRE — Six protesters, including a Plainfield man, were arraigned Tuesday in Newport criminal court on charges of trespassing on land leased by Green Mountain Power for a commercial wind project.

Ryan Gillard, a 23-year-old ecologist and educator from Plainfield, was among those who pleaded not guilty.

The others were Robert Holland, 67, of Irasburg, one of the leading opponents of the 21-turbine project, David Rodgers, 69, of Craftsbury, Suzanne Jones, 50, of Walden, Eric Wallace-Senft, 46, of Wolcott, and Anne Morse, 48, of Craftsbury Commons.

Chris Braithwaite, publisher of the Barton Chronicle, who was in Lowell covering the story, was also arraigned on trespassing charges.

According to a news release from Mountain Occupation, the six witnessed “enormous destruction” at the construction site.

According to the protesters, “the legal ownership of the land is disputed and adds an interesting complication to the case.”

Each of the protesters was released without having to post bail after agreeing to the condition that they return to court when scheduled to do so. That date has not been set.

Meanwhile, construction continues on the 21 industrial-size wind turbines that are being built along the Lowell Mountain ridgeline, despite several delays caused by protesters.

Lukas Snelling, of Ira, executive director of Energize Vermont, a group that says it supports small-scale wind projects and opposes commercial-grade wind projects, said, “I’ve seen some of the destruction at the Lowell Mountain project and it is substantial and mind-blowing.”

Snelling said his group has been supporting Mountain Occupation in its efforts to block the construction.

Before entering the courthouse, a group of supporters convened on the sidewalk holding the Vermont and U.S. flags along with signs saying, “Stop Destroying Vermont” and “Detour to Honest Energy Policy.” The same signs and flags were carried by the protesters when they were arrested on the ridgeline Dec. 5.

After the hearing before Judge Robert P. Gerety, the Mountain Occupation group held a news conference where each defendant spoke briefly, explaining why they had been at the site and what they saw there.

According to the release, Gillard said he “blocked the crane path to bring attention to the massive destruction the project is bringing to the area’s ecology. The permitting process must be broken if the (Public Service Board) would approve such a destructive project. These impacts cannot be mitigated.” The board is the permit and approval entity for public utilities and energy projects in Vermont.

Construction on the project for the nearly 460-foot-tall turbines began this year. The project was approved by the residents of Lowell in a town meeting vote. Earlier this fall, protesters began camping on property owned by farmers near the construction site. But this marked the first time that protesters were arrested.