Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Landowners share reasons behind signing wind leases
John Sandygren of Mohler shows the wheat field he has leased portions of to the Tenaska/Cordelio joint venture.
This map shows parcels that have been wholly or partially leased to Triple Oak Power and Tenaska/Cordelio. The companies have not determined the exact locations of possible wind turbines, as wind studies are expected to take at least two years.
DAVENPORT - Gusts of promised money? Gales of ability to pass farmland onto the next generation? Breezes of desire to progress Lincoln County's farmland into the future? These are just some of the reasons why some landowners and farmers are making the controversial decision to sign portions of their land over to companies looking to develop wind turbines in Lincoln County.
Two companies are looking to develop here. Portland-based Triple Oak Power hopes to construct turbines northeast and southeast of Davenport and Omaha-based Tenaska and Toronto-based Cordelio are in a joint venture seeking to build two projects, one between Davenport and Reardan and another near Harrington.
According to Lincoln County Auditor's Office records, 13 leases had been signed with Cordelio by press time, while 21 leases had been signed with Great Bend Wind LLC, which is the title of Triple Oak Power's project.
Gobs of money have been promised to landowners who sign the leases, which typically start at 30 years and could net the owners dollar figures in the millions.
"I concede money was the first consideration, but I always thought (turbines) were kind of cool," Wilbur-area farmer Mark Sheffels, whose family has leased six parcels to Triple Oak Power southeast of Davenport, said.
Mohler-area farmer John Sandygren, who leased portions of two parcels off Coffeepot Road to Cordelio, was convinced by a Tenaska informational meeting in Harrington.
"At the meeting in Harrington, it kind of seemed too good to be true," Sandygren said. "I thought, 'what a wonderful thing for Lincoln County.'"
The volatile reality of farming life prompted some farmers to lease parcels to the companies in hopes of creating a surer financial gain. That's the case for Edwall-area farmer Ashton Klein, who leased portions of two parcels he farms north of Reardan to Triple Oak Power.
"It's nice to have a cushion to help absorb the times farming is tough," Klein said. "As a farmer, we don't get to pass along the profit loss."
Some generational landowners are concerned about out-of-county businesspeople and farmers buying up farmland, as inflation and taxes cause farming to become unaffordable for the next generation. This income could change that, some owners think.
"My great-grandfather purchased this land while working on the railroad as an engineer," Sandygren said. "We get a poor return with fertilizer costs and taxes...I thought, 'what a wonderful way to transfer the land.'"
Sheffels said he hopes increased income from wind turbine development slows the transfer of land to ownership outside the county.
"I think you'll be a better farmer with conservation in the land because you'll have the money to do so," Aaron Wilson, who has leased portions of five parcels north of Reardan to Tenaska, agreed.
Along with his sisters, Mondovi-area landowner John Zeimantz, an attorney and outspoken critic of those opposed to wind turbines, leased portions of 10 parcels near Level Road to Triple Oak Power.
"It's not for me to tell my neighbors what the hell to do," Zeimantz said. "What I want to do, respectfully, is my business."
Chief among concerns of wind turbine opponents tend to be negative tax impacts, wildlife and aviary killing impacts, aerial firefighting worries and aesthetic displeasure.
"It's all a cover for, they don't want to look at them," Zeimantz said.
Sheffels said he feels the tax concerns are the most valid concern of opponents and thinks legislative action is required to mitigate those. He agreed that aesthetic concerns seem to play a large part in opposing opinions.
"If you're going to look at them, you might as well get paid to look at them," he said.
Casey Nonnemacher is a farmer and Fire District No. 4 Commissioner who has leased parcels southeast of Davenport and near Edwall to Tenaska. He said he spoke to a spokesperson from the Dept. of Natural Resources, who told him firefighting planes can fly within ¼ mile of a wind turbine.
Sandygren said he's been surprised by the scrutiny from opponents, who are in vast swathes in Lincoln County.
"I never saw the harm in these things," he said. "I've always been kind of intrigued by them."
He said he told his neighbor the money was too good to turn down and said that's "affected things."
"It makes me sad, the extreme difference of opinions," Klein added.
Other landowners aren't surprised by the backlash.
"I figured it'd stir the hornets' nest," landowner Dave DeVore, who leased land to Tenaska, said. "I heard all my neighbors weren't in favor, but then they all signed up."
DeVore said he toured turbines in the Vantage and Ritzville areas and noted he could barely hear the machines depending on wind flow.
Sheffels said he received similar backlash when he switched to no-till farming in the 1980s, a practice he said is now commonplace.
DeVore concurred.
"Cowboy leaders always caught the arrows first," he said.
Drew Lawson is the editor of the Davenport Times. He is a graduate of Eastern Washington University.
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