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Backbone Farm Keeps Tradition Alive in the Appalachians

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Even if Backbone Food Farm didn’t sit below Backbone Mountain, its name still would be very appropriate. That’s because Max Dubansky and his family farm the way he learned from the old folks, letting pigs turn the soil and using horses to work the land.

Max Dubansky and his family farm 50 acres in Pleasant Valley outside Oakland, Maryland, on the edge of the Allegheny Mountains.

I joined Max for a walk around Backbone Farm in early spring. The sun was just breaking through the clouds onto a scene of serene, rolling green hills.

“Being high elevation where we are here, we like to grow a lot of cool-weather crops so, you know, lots of lettuces and greens, carrots,” he said.

The farm also produces several kinds of edible and medicinal mushrooms, along with berries and fruit.

Read More Here:  http://wvpublic.org/post/backbone-farm-keeps-tradition-alive-appalachians

Constellation Energy opens 70MW Criterion Wind Project

(08/08/2011)

Constellation Energy has officially opened the 70MW Criterion Wind Project. It is the first wind facility to be built and operated in Maryland, and consists of 28 wind turbines constructed over an eight-mile stretch along Backbone Mountain in Garrett County. The facility will produce enough renewable energy to meet the electricity needs of approximately 23,000 households.

Criterion Wind began commercial operation in December 2010. The facility produces energy that is sent to electric transmission lines owned by Allegheny Energy, which serves western Maryland. Energy produced by Criterion Wind is sold to Old Dominion Electric Cooperative, which entered into a 20-year agreement to purchase the energy and renewable energy credits produced by the facility. Old Dominion is a nonprofit wholesale power provider serving public electric cooperatives in Maryland, Delaware and Virginia.

“Criterion Wind is good for the environment and good for the economy,” said Kathleen W. Hyle, senior vice president, Constellation Energy, and chief operating officer, Constellation Energy Resources. “This new facility is part of Constellation Energy’s ongoing efforts to increase private-sector investment in renewable energy resources, helping Maryland meet its environmental goals and drive much-needed job growth. We’re looking forward to a long and successful partnership with the local community. Constellation is committed to being a good neighbor and corporate citizen.”

More here.

Buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland? Call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues!

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Forever changed – Backbone Mountain ridge at Eagle Rock


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Jul. 15, 2010

The Backbone Mountain ridge at Eagle Rock in southeastern Garrett County has been vastly altered, with 28 massive wind turbines now being erected. They can be seen for many miles. After years of debate, a long permitting process, and a variety of violations of water, air, and land regulations resulting in fines, Constellation Energy was successful in bringing the project to fruition, opening the door to more wind industry development in the county. This aerial shot was taken by Bob Browning, McHenry. The blades for the towers have been arriving over the past week or so, one of them resulting in a power outage yesterday when the delivery vehicle accidently tore down power lines near Mason School Road.

If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! 877-563-5350 Deep Creek Lake Info, Business Directories, Classified Ads, Events & more! Advertise on http://www.deepcreekalive.com/!

Opponents of Garrett County wind farm threaten lawsuit

Megan Miller
Cumberland Times-News

Deer Park — DEER PARK — Opponents of a Garrett County wind power project have warned developer Constellation Energy and the county government that they plan to sue unless Constellation seeks a special permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The Constellation project consists of an electrical substation and 28 415-foot wind turbines atop Backbone Mountain, spread along an 8-mile stretch near Eagle Rock.

In a June 23 letter, the Garrett-based opposition group Save Western Maryland and the Maryland Conservation Council stated that the wind project will adversely affect Indiana bats and Virginia big-eared bats, both classified as federal endangered species. The project would therefore violate the federal Endangered Species Act.

To prevent a lawsuit, the opposition groups stated, Baltimore-based Constellation must seek an incidental take permit from USFWS. The permit effectively protects developers from violating the act by creating a plan in advance to deal with the possibility that endangered wildlife could be harmed by a project.

In April, Constellation spokesman Larry McDonnell said the developer planned to voluntarily seek an incidental take permit.

“Even though the risk of a negative impact to an Indiana bat is very remote, Constellation Energy will voluntarily seek the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s approval for any incidental impacts,” McDonnell said. “We will commit to developing Indiana bat habitat improvement projects that will result in far greater benefits to the species than any remote risk posed by the project.”

When reached Tuesday, McDonnell said the company was preparing its permit application, though he was uncertain of when it will be filed.

The application requires developers to create a habitat conservation plan for mitigating the effects of an incidental killing of wildlife. USFWS can also require that applicants conduct biological surveys of the project area.

The length of time needed for USFWS to review a permit application can range from less than three months to one year, depending on the scope and complexity of the conservation plan, according to USFWS permit instructions. The time frame can also be affected by other factors, such as public controversy.

In a news release issued after its letter to Constellation, Save Western Maryland called on Constellation to halt construction on the project “until a conservation plan is completed and a permit is issued.”

“The big wind developers purport to be responsible, corporate citizens,” the group said. “As such, they must live up to their green image by complying with all laws, especially those designed to protect the environment such as the ESA.”

McDonnell said that Constellation’s bat protection measures “have been and will continue to be very comprehensive.”

As evidence of a potential threat to bats, the wind farm opponents cited studies done at the Mountaineer wind farm, a 44-turbine facility in nearby West Virginia, and at a 20-turbine facility near Meyersdale, Pa. The studies showed significant bat mortality at both locations, including one six-week monitoring period when researchers found 398 bat carcasses at the Mountaineer wind farm and 262 at the Meyersdale site.

For legal precedent, they cited a 2009 case in which a federal judge halted development at the Beech Ridge Energy wind farm in Greenbrier County, W.Va., until the developer secured an incidental take permit from the USFWS.

The opposition stated that not only Constellation, but also Garrett County government, could be held liable for any violations of the act, since county government entities granted a number of permits required for the construction to move forward. The county also owns land on which three of the project’s turbines will be placed.

The liability could also extend to the project’s previous owners and other interested parties, such as Old Dominion Electric Cooperative Inc., which has entered into a power purchase agreement with Constellation.

If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! 877-563-5350 Deep Creek Lake Info, Business Directories, Classified Ads, Events & more! Advertise on http://www.deepcreekalive.com/!

Nordex Awarded 50 MW Project for First Maryland Wind Farm

CHICAGO, May 11, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Construction of Maryland’s first wind farm has begun. Nordex USA, Inc. has been awarded an order for 20 N90 2.5 megawatt wind turbines to be installed at a 50-megawatt wind farm in Garrett County, Maryland. The contract with developer and future operator, Synergics, includes installation and a five-year maintenance agreement.

Nordex will begin delivering and installing turbines in August, with completion and commissioning of the project slated for December 2010. The “Roth Rock” wind farm will generate about 124,000 megawatt hours of electricity per year, which is enough to power nearly 11,300 homes at rates that are cost-competitive with existing fuel sources. The project will also provide a boon to local communities in the form of significant tax revenue.

“The Roth Rock project proves that wind can sustainably and affordably power our homes and businesses while benefiting local communities,” said Ralf Sigrist, President and CEO of Nordex USA. “Nordex’s advanced turbine technology has made wind power a competitive alternative to environmentally costly and finite fossil fuels, and we are proud to be the first to help bring that advantage to Maryland.”

The 20 high-speed turbines will stand atop Backbone Mountain along an undeveloped ridge stretching three miles (five kilometers). Located in the western corner of Maryland near the West Virginia and Pennsylvania borders, Roth Rock will displace about 107,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions in a region traditionally dependent on coal.

Read the rest here.

If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! 877-563-5350

Exploring Garrett County- Mount Zion and Backbone Mountain

Over Easter weekend, my father and both my kids accompanied me to the Sharpless family (my father’s side) cemetery on Mt Zion, off of Backbone Mountain. My grandfather passed away about a year ago, and this was originally the stomping grounds of the Sharpless family in Garrett County. If you haven’t seen Mt Zion, the views are amazing, there’s a lot of history in this area and it’s a beautiful area of the county. It’s also the road to the boat launch (on the Maryland side) of Jennings Randolph Lake. There is a great deal of coal here, and the strip mining is very evident. I took some photos of the coal mining, as well.

When looking around the grounds and cemetery, you will find the original tombstone of Michael Paugh, who served under General George Washington in the Revolutionary War. His family placed a plaque here, and it goes on to say:

1777 – Michael Paugh fought in the American Revolutionary War under General George Washington, spending the historical winter at Valley Forge Pennsylvania under George Washington;s command. After the war, Michael received allotments of land and settled in what is today known as Mt Zion, Garrett County, Maryland.

I’m not sure where the Sharpless family figures in to this story or why the graveyard is here, but I’ll be exploring that part of the family tree in the near future. In the meantime, here are some photos of the beautiful area of Mt Zion:

From Mount Zion, Backbone Mountain, Lost Land Run, Ramps!

From Mount Zion, Backbone Mountain, Lost Land Run, Ramps!

From Mount Zion, Backbone Mountain, Lost Land Run, Ramps!

From Mount Zion, Backbone Mountain, Lost Land Run, Ramps!

From Mount Zion, Backbone Mountain, Lost Land Run, Ramps!

From Mount Zion, Backbone Mountain, Lost Land Run, Ramps!

From Mount Zion, Backbone Mountain, Lost Land Run, Ramps!

From Mount Zion, Backbone Mountain, Lost Land Run, Ramps!

From Mount Zion, Backbone Mountain, Lost Land Run, Ramps!

From Mount Zion, Backbone Mountain, Lost Land Run, Ramps!

From Mount Zion, Backbone Mountain, Lost Land Run, Ramps!

If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! 877-563-5350

Garrett County approves revised wind farm project plans

Garrett approves revised wind farm project plans
Megan Miller
Cumberland Times-News

— OAKLAND — On Tuesday county officials approved a revised project plan for a proposed Garrett wind farm, putting developer Constellation Energy one step closer to building an electrical substation and 28 wind turbines atop Backbone Mountain near Eagle Rock.

The Maryland Department of the Environment halted work last week on the site of a planned electrical substation along Eagle Rock Road due to issues with water runoff and erosion controls. MDE spokeswoman Dawn Stoltzfus said an erosion and sediment control fence at the site had been improperly installed, and the project plan was inadequate to handle the volume of water flowing from the site.

The Garrett Soil Conservation District’s approval of Constellation’s revised plan is the first step toward resuming construction. Stoltzfus said she expected the silt fence would be fixed Tuesday and an MDE inspector will visit the site Wednesday to look over the changes and give the necessary approval to proceed.

Crews began clearcutting timber and building access roads on the substation site in mid-March. Clearcutting and other preliminary work has continued at the proposed wind turbine sites, strung along the mountain ridge northeast of the substation site.

Stoltzfus said MDE is investigating whether or not to bring penalties against Constellation.

The Garrett Soil Conservation District’s decision came on the same day that county residents and Constellation representatives spoke in support of the project at the Garrett County Commission meeting.

David Wagner, manager of the Commercial Analysis Group with Constellation Energy, said afterward that he plans to attend commission meetings regularly to keep a close connection with the community as the project moves forward.

Marvin White, a farm owner who said four turbines are planned for his property, told the commission he supports the project because it will create well-paid jobs and allow the county to produce clean energy.

“A lot of people are against these wind turbines, but do you want to build a nuclear powerhouse or a big coal powerhouse up there? Which would you rather see?” White said. “This county was built on cutting timber and coal mining.”

But other neighbors have voiced their opposition to the project, especially since construction work began in recent weeks.

Eric Robison, whose Eagle Rock Road home sits nearly adjacent to the substation site, filed a formal public information request with the county on Tuesday seeking documents including a copy of the site plan overview and the county’s review of the Constellation project under the Garrett County Sensitive Areas Ordinance.

Robison, who owns a construction company, said he’s concerned that the project plans have not been thoroughly reviewed by county, state and federal officials for their environmental impact on those areas.

Under state law, county officials have 30 days to respond to the information request.

Constellation Energy plans to build 28 wind turbines atop Backbone Mountain in Garrett County. The state Department of the Environment stopped work last week due to issues with water runoff and erosion controls.

If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! 877-563-5350

Pleasant Valley, Garrett County Maryland

I had someone send me this photo of their family farm in southern Garrett County over the weekend and I was reminded of a Garrett County gem – Pleasant Valley. It’s not a town, so you can’t find it on the map as an address, but it is a collection of farms, fields, and homes on Route 219 south of Oakland. There is a prevalent Amish population, generations of local farmers and lots of other cool places to drive by and see. My father had a home in the valley for 10 years or so while I was growing up, so I was fortunate enough to have experienced the beautiful sights, sounds (and smells) of this agricultural area. Pleasant Valley lies beneath the Backbone Mountain ridge, so the backdrop of the highest point in Maryland is equally impressive as you take in the beautiful sights and sounds of Pleasant Valley! Take a trip to see the working farms, and stop by one of the many ‘shops’ that you will encounter along the way. You buy everything from fresh produce and eggs to Garrett County’s own maple syrup, baking goods, fresh baked bread & yummy deserts. There are also fun activities like horse drawn carriage rides, the Backbone Mountain ski farm and you can even arrange a trip to see livestock on a Garrett County farm!

Want your own piece of the Valley? Railey Realty offers many diverse tracts of recreational land, farm/pasture land and homes in this beautiful are of Garrett County. You can search for real estate here, or I would be happy to help you find the property of your dreams in Southern Garrett County, Pleasant Valley and Backbone Mountain!

If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! 877-563-5350