Land Ownership for Proposed Cherry County Turbine Project

The wind-turbine project proposed for Cherry county, northwest of Thedford, would place 147 turbines upon what is now prairie grassland. The project site starts about two miles west of Highway 83, and continues for about seven miles westward in township 25 north, and range 28-29 west.

The land where the massive turbines will be placed includes a mix of public and private property. Based upon details provided on the Federal Aviation Administration website, that indicates the specific site for each registered turbine, the ownership of the property was determined by comparing the indicated turbine locale with Cherry county land ownership particulars also available online.

Details indicate that the majority of the turbines would be placed upon public property managed by the Bureau of Educational Lands and Funds. The particulars are:

• Bureau of Educational Lands and Funds: 77 turbines
• Hamilton Ranch Inc.: 28
• South L.L.C., of Thedford: 18
• Eatinger Lands Ltd.: 10
• Messersmith Trust: 7
• Gordon Family Ranch, of Thedford: 6
• and others associated with the 147 turbine development, as proposed.

Email communications in late March from BELF staff indicate that the agency was not aware of the FAA approval for turbines on property they manage.

"No one connected with BELF has ever received any confirmation of where any turbines might eventually be built in Cherry County. ... we also have no idea of when any turbines may be installed," according to Richard Endacott, director of BELF. Mr. Endacott also indicated that the BELF board "is supportive of wind development as a renewable energy resource" and will "likely continue to be receptive to properly planned and managed wind development."

However, the BELF board has not approved the placement of wind turbines on their property in southern Cherry county.

According to an email from BELF, agency staff indicated that: "Since this association in still in development stage, there has never been discussion by our Board of when, how many, or where any such turbines might be placed on our property in Cherry County; thus, there has never been any Board approval of the placement of numerous wind turbines on School trust Land in Cherry County."

There has never been a meeting where the owners of the property — the citizens of Nebraska — have been given an opportunity to express their perspective. Instead, the BELF board is making decisions in regards to land use without making any particular effort to consider public opinion.

The placement of this number of wind turbines will permanently destroy the natural features of thousands of acres.

The siting of this wind-turbine facility is problematic, according to "threats and stressors" designated for the sandhills region. The 2014 strategic plan for the Sandhills Task Force" includes this text: "Energy Development: Poorly-sited large-scale energy development, and similar large-scale developments can negatively affect large tracts of continuous grasslands."

This is precisely the sort of development being proposed for the north Thedford project. The grassland setting will be dramatically altered by the placement of the turbines, burial of electrical lines, providing access roadways and construction of a substation.

The turbine facility will also destroy the view-scape westward of Highway 83 just north of the Cherry county boundary. Currently, it is a grand vista of grassland with nothing that mars the landscape. The proposed setting would be dramatically altered once this project gets built.

Public Land Designated for Turbine Potential

More than 28,000 acres have been specifically identified by the Bureau of Educational Lands and Funds, a Nebraska agency, for potential wind turbine activities within Cherry County.

The following details are from a list provided by the agency.

The largest tract is ten parcels, comprising just over 6872 acres in the southeast part of the county. The contiguous area is all or portions of sections 8, 9, 16 to 21, 28-30 in T25N R28W, and section 26 to the west in T25N R29W.

T25N R28W, southeast Cherry county.

A meteorological tower would be built in section 20, in the center of the tract, and three miles west of Highway 83. This structure would be readily visible from this major north-south travelway.

There are no details yet available regarding the lease amount for a private company to erect a tower on public property, nor its duration, according to BELF staff.

Four other parcels are also in this general vicinity: 16-26-28, 16-27-28, 16-26-29, and 36-26-29.

Another multi-parcel tract is in T30N R36W, and includes all or part of sections 16, 26, 27, 28, 32, 34 and 36. In the next township south are 16-29-36 near Gordon Creek and 36-29-36. All of these parcels are primarily surrounded by the Abbott-Metzger Ranch, with 16-29-36 less than one-eighth of a mile from the ranch headquarters, with its residences.

Two to three miles south of the western Snake River in the Doughboy vicinity is 16-30-34, and section 36 in the same township. To the north is 36-31-34, which is adjacent to the Snake River.

Further west about four miles, and is 36-31-35, which includes the channel of the Snake River.

Six parcels are within five miles of a proposed MET tower on the southeast extent of the Pullman Ranch owned by Lone Creek Cattle Company. They include 16-27-35 and 36-27-35, along with 16-27-36, 34-27-36 and 36-27-36; also 16-26-36 which is along the north Whitman Road.

West-central Cherry county.

Three contiguous parcels are sections 4 and 5 in T27N R37W and 33-28-37. This is south of the eastern extent of the Davis OLO Ranch. Nearby, a couple of miles south is 16-27-37, and then 36-27-37, by the Henderson Ranch.

A mile east of Highway 61 north of Whitman is 36-27-38, which is a mile south of the turnoff to the Hoyt and Henderson ranch. In the same vicinity is 16-26-37.

The parcel 36-29-37 is 640 acres about two miles south of Gordon Creek, and five miles east of Highway 61. The predominent feature is Goose Lake, situated in the middle of the area.

Goose Lake, in 36-29-37, as indicated by the bluish box. The lake is about 109 acres of the 652.46 acres section. To the southwest is Round Lake.

Section 16-25-33 is about three miles northward from the MET tower proposed for the Quarter Circle Bar Ranch, owned by the Lone Tree Cattle Company.

Along western Calf Creek, is 16-26-34, with section 36 of the same township and range included. About three mile northeast of section 16, is 36-27-34.

The North Loup River flows through 16-28-32, west of Highway 97. Three miles to the southwest is 36-28-33.

Along western Gordon Creek, surrounded by the Kime Ranch, is 16-29-35 with 23-29-35 nearby.

How these land parcels, comprising 28,009.40 acres, were selected is not known. Details on how the agency is promoting use of educational land sections is given on their website.