History Repeats Itself!!! We Have Already Been To This Zoning Rodeo Before!!!

A reader left the comment below under a post about the Town of Cape Vincent's lackluster attempts to zone for solar energy.  The commenter brings up a very good point about the possibility the town intends to regulate solar zoning mainly  through it's site plan review process, and as a result has left out many specifics in the zoning. 

Note also that this was exactly what the former wind conflicted zoning officials attempted as well, keeping industrial wind siting in the hands of the planning board with no wind law in place, and as the reader points out they were warned by county officials that this was not a wise idea. See the fax letter from the county below.

Same goes for this solar zoning!

For example as a planning board or zoning board  changes members over time different officials may apply different criteria unless there are specific zoning regulations and guidelines outlined in the law that are consistent over time.

It should also be noted that the Zoning Board of Appeals is now the board that approves solar applications through a special use permit, not the planning board, although the ZBA could seek advice or send the project plan to the PB for input.

That is another issue I will address later in this zoning revision.

But in last years solar zoning fiasco it was shown that these boards failed to do their jobs correctly, and in fact the PB took control and the ZBA was improperly left completely out of the loop in the beginning, until they were drawn into the mess later, and still failed to correct the issues.

This in fact demonstrates perfectly  my readers point that the zoning of solar should not be totally in the hands of site plan or special permit review with only vague zoning regulations as guidelines, and the zoning should spell out the details of the solar zoning.

Below is the readers comment...and below that is a fax letter from a county planner Mike Bourcy to former town supervisor Tom Rienbeck and former planning board chair Rich Edsall about the very issue the reader brings up, except in that case it was about industrial wind development.

We have already been to this rodeo once!!!  You would think we would learn!

Underlining emphasis is mine

The crafters of this amendment seem determined to create an ambiguous and confusing process for zoning solar energy.

Example- the text on page 57 describes commercial solar energy as being specifically for sale to the grid, yet the chart on page 12 provides for commercial energy used on site. The minimal criteria provided in the text apparently only refer to the solar energy generated (CSE), whereas the chart refers to the apparatus itself- commercial SECS.

Its difficult to understand the lack of clarity, and/ or consistency. It seems apparent that although there are many issues to deal with as you have pointed out, this zoning agency intends to regulate solar energy through the site plan review process. The county planners once warned the previous planning board that it was unwise to zone by site plan review without specific criteria in place. This proposed amendment falls short of providing clear guidelines. It could be surmised that this is intentional given this board's history of reluctance to adhere to it's own rules."

Of course when you consider that last summer in the solar zoning fiasco, when the planning board could find no solid justification for its actions, the former PB chair Dick Macsherry came up with a winner of an excuse for the mess they created, saying we really shouldn't take our law so literally!!!

Now he is the Dep. Town Super.  Another reason as to exactly why we SHOULD have details about solar regulations in the new zoning law and take them literally!!!

Solar...OK Let's Get Serious!

The town seems to want to promote solar.  OK so if that is the case then they should get serious with their zoning to accommodate solar properly.  The current Cape Vincent Town solar zoning falls way short in my opinion.

 

For example here are a few issues that should be dealt with.  Solar is not all unicorns, daisies, and butterflies.  There are some important zoning issues.

First the issue of “rights to solar” or sunlight on your property should be addressed in the comp plan and in the zoning law if the town wants to promote solar.

 

The issue of shadows from adjoining properties should be addressed.  For example new structures or new planted vegetation on adjoining property since the solar project was permitted.    They should consider solar easements.

 

What about trees?  BP’s Brookhaven industrial solar project on Long Island removed 153 acres of trees or about 45,000 trees.  Is that wise?  I don’t think so. That is a lot of impact on the habitat.  In CV we have a lot of open grass land but the zoning should address this potential tree removal issue, for large solar or small solar.   Also there should  be studies to determine the impacts on grassland species for large solar arrays.

 

Large commercial solar arrays can take up huge amounts of land.  Once they are constructed that land is dedicated to that use.  Unlike wind turbines where agriculture can still take place under or near turbines. How are agricultural land use and habits going to be protected?

The sun  reflective regulations should be returned to the zoning and studies should be required of the possible impact to adjoining properties, streets, etc.  It was taken out in the new revisions.

There is no language indicating that all power lines on residential or  commercial solar should be underground.

There is no language to prohibit advertising on any solar project.

Solar projects have a lot of interconnected electrical components.  The is no language to protect the public from possible dangerous electrical components, especially in large solar projects, and there is no language about fencing or other protections.

There should be language about screening for large solar arrays, either moderate height vegetation or something appropriate.

In my opinion there should be only roof top solar allowed in the more densely populated residential areas of the lake and river dist. or hamlets, or maybe small ground mounted solar.  Especially near the shore line where scenic preservation issues could arise.  There should setback regulations from the shore lines.  For larger properties in these districts some other accommodation could be outlined.

If we are going to get serious about solar then the zoning should indicate that the planning board should consider that streets in new subdivided areas should have where possible an east west orientation thereby providing the southern exposure for potential solar, and subdivisions should be platted with solar access in mind.

And where is the division between commercial solar and residential on site solar? These issues need to be looked at in more detail.

Often large solar projects need considerable grading of the land.  There are potential erosion issues and well contamination issues that should be addressed.

What about decommissioning, if an array ceases to work or is abandon?  There should be language indicating how soon it should be take down or repaired.  Large commercial projects need to have a decommissioning financial plan, just like industrial wind.

For roof mounted solar there should be some inspection or certification that the roof can support the load.  There should be some thought into snow and ice loads sliding off the panels and where that will end up.  Does it endanger anyone?

For large and small solar systems, is there a system in place to deal with possible complaints from adjacent land owners.

How do you handle solar added to an existing house as an alteration vs. solar integrated into new construction?

What about batteries?  The CV zoning is written with the very narrow idea that PV solar will be used directly in a residence and the excess sold to the grid, or commercial solar is sold directly and only to the grid.  However, some people may want to live independently off the grid.  This may require large banks of batteries which could raise a whole host of zoning safety issues.  Like the proper area for  batteries, and storage in a residence, fire and explosive issues, venting, contamination or proper disposal.  Maybe only a certain type of battery should be allowed. None of this is addressed in the CV zoning revision.

There are numerous issues to consider for solar zoning…these are only some.  There has been a lot of thought put into zoning for wind energy, and by comparison, virtually nothing serious  regarding solar.

 

More On Solar Zoning - A 20 ft. Height Allowance For A Solar Array is Far Too Big!!!

It’s nice to see in general in this zoning revision  that there are now page numbers, unlike the 2012 zoning document where in the rush they apparently forgot to put page numbers on the document.  Imagine that…putting page numbers on an important document. Hey…maybe this is why they couldn’t read there own law in the first solar zoning fiasco!

Of course it is kinda important that the table of context page numbers actually match the pages in the document.  If you are looking for the solar zoning it starts on page 56 not page 54. 

Then in the “Intent” explanation about solar on age 56 they categorize solar into ground mounted, and roof mounted both large and small. 

So does someone want to explain to us what this ambiguous “ large” and “small” means?  There is NO definitive explanation. 

Then right under that explanation they then outline a another category of commercial solar that is not under the intent section.   Problem is once again when you go to table 8 on page 12 there is another category listed as residential, yet residential is scratched out on page 56  paragraph 3. 

So we are getting nowhere on this solar revision in this matter.  There is still a confusing inconsistency between table 8 and the initial explanation of solar uses on page 56 and 57.  This is what caused the first solar zoning fiasco.  I guess they don’t learn.

In the 2012 zoning a large solar array or complex was not allowed in either the lake or river front districts.  But watch out for your property viewshed because now a commercial solar installation IS allowed in both the river and lake front districts, and suddenly their doesn’t appear to be many restrictions on size.  Only that the project has to stay within the district setbacks and can’t be taller than 20 ft.  The height was reduced from 25 ft. for commercial solar from the 2012 zoning.

 However, ground mounted solar array height allowances  were doubled from 10 ft. to 20 ft.  Doesn’t matter whether they are commercial where the electricity is sold only to the grid, or residential only for on site use.  In other words as long as you stay under 20 ft. and within the property setbacks…then go for it!  In my opinion this is not real smart

If you live in the river or lake front districts, and the property owner adjacent to you has a large parcel…you could be screwed and living next to a large commercial solar energy complex and it could extend right down to the water front setback.

Now does anybody have a clue just how big a 20 ft high solar array is on a property near your house???

Well let’s explore this a bit.  And luck for us, in Flagstaff, AZ where I live  there are numerous  examples of solar arrays to look at…so let’s do that.

First, look below at the ladder leaning against my house.  The top of the ladder is 20 ft. off the ground.  Would you really want a large solar array of numerous 20 ft. high panels on the property next to your house?

 

 

And keep in mind you could have a lot of these arrays next to your property the way the law has now been relaxed.

That would be a damn big solar array.  It is too big for a residential setting, and with this height we are flirting with violating our comp plan which is largely about preserving the scenic resources of the town. 

In the next picture is a simulation of a large ground mounted solar array only 10 ft. high next to an outline of small pickup truck.  This 10 x 72 ft. array is in fact the solar array project approved in last summer’s solar zoning fiasco in which the town of CV, and particularly the Zoning Board of Appeals did somersaults and distortions of the zoning process to get this approved. 

 

 

Now take a look below at these ground mounted solar arrays at the Flagstaff City Hall parking lot.   The front edge is about 9 ft. off the ground…the back edge isn’t even 20 ft. high.  Do you really think this is appropriate for a residential setting?  Apparently the drafters of the zoning revisions do! 20 ft. high solar arrays are allowed in the river front and lake front districts. And as long at you stay within the district setbacks, or (Lot Utilization Area) there is no limit in the law as to how many arrays can be on a property.

 

 

Now note below  these other large solar arrays that are still under 20 ft. high.  One is at a local Walmart, one at an apartment complex in a commercial zone, and the other is at a public electric utility office.

 

Want to live next to this?  If you don't then take a good look at the solar regulations in the CV zoning revision!

 Even the solar arrays at this massive PV solar complex pictured below south of Las Vegas, NV (one of the biggest in the country) are much lower in height than 20 ft.!  And this is in a area specifically zoned for large solar complexes.  As I remember they are actually a  bit lower than 10 ft!  Somebody here had a clue.

 

 

What exactly are our zoning revision people thinking!  And in addition would you really want an industrial PV solar complex covering a huge swath of land in CV????  Well at this point that is what your zoning law will allow. 

Somebody needs a reality check!

Now there are two things to consider here.

 First Flagstaff, and Las Vegas get a lot of sunshine.  Something like 300+ days a year in Flagstaff and more in the deserts. Here in the S. W. solar might make at least some sense. But you would still be surprised at how low the capacity factors are even in a sunny climate. 

Second…note in the pictures that these Flagstaff solar complexes are in commercial or industrial settings, not in single home residential or rural neighborhoods.  Most of the solar arrays I know of in residential neighborhoods are roof mounted or small ground mounted and not offensive. 

Again a 20 ft. high array is ridiculous not even seen in some large commercial solar complexes.

Here is  part of a roof array and a small ground mounted array in my neighborhood. And the ground mounted array is well under 20 ft. high.

 

The new zoning revision also says ground mounted solar has to be mounted on a concrete base on the ground and not on “structures”  Well what the hell does that mean?  Every solar array I have seen, and I seen a lot of them, both commercial and residential,  is not laying on a ground slab.  It is supported up on some type of “structure” or frame work to tilt it and keep it oriented correctly.  More confusion!

And maybe “ground mounted” is not a good way to describe these solar arrays.  When in fact none of them are actually mounted on the ground.  As I said the vast majority are up on a structure or frame work. 

Like the Flagstaff City Hall solar array.  Is it a ground mounted array, or on a structure?  It is not a parking garage or roof.  The parking lot was there long before the solar panels and the primary use of those structures are to support panels to generate electricity, not protect cars.

The CV solar zoning is still a fiasco, and has gotten worse not better for the protection of CV citizens and their properties.  Hirschey and the town are having an irrational green love affair with PV solar and as a result they are shoving it down our throats in an irrational manner with no real experience or science to back it up.

More later.

 

More On The Cape Vincent Zoning Revisions

As I mentioned in yesterday’s  post below, the Cape Vincent zoning revision committee has completed their work, and the revised law is on the Town of Cape Vincent website at the following link.

http://townofcapevincent.org/docs/cat_view/14-miscellaneous.html

 

If time allows I would like to examine certain parts of the new revisions in several posts over the next few days or so.

To be fully informed it may also be instructive to down load the CV Comp Plan at the same link since our zoning by state statute must be in accordance with the vision of the comp plan.  If the zoning does not support the comp plan, then serious legal issues can arise that can successfully challenge the zoning regulations. And there are some of those issues in our zoning  law…revised or not.

In the revision document from the town website, the revisions are highlighted in yellow and the language that has been removed is scratched out with a single line drawn through it.

Now before going forward, I believe there are areas of both our new 2012 comp plan and the new revised zoning law that are well done and I agree with.  But there are parts I do not agree with, as you might guess concerning the zoning regulations around industrial wind…and the solar zoning which created such an embarrassing  zoning mess last summer for town official, particularly Mr. Hirschey the town supervisor with his own solar project which was in violation of the very law he promoted and approved.  Those regulations are still a fiasco.

As I said…surprise surprise… those regulations on solar have been significantly relaxed. Imagine that!!!

Now my first examination in this series  is…why is the town in such a love affair with, and promoting solar in the first place??? 

And right off the top, as in the old law these CV solar regulations fall significantly short in many areas.  For example once again the solar zoning geniuses, like Bob Brown the revision committee chairman, and a key player in creating last summer’s solar zoning fiasco, fail to recognize the various types of solar and it appears they lump it all as photo voltaic (PV) solar.  Get a clue, there are several potential types of solar that could be used with different issues.

There is active solar hot water which can be used to heat the house or just the hot water, and there is thermal solar which generally uses mirrors to concentrate sunlight and which is used more on a commercial scale.  The latter can cause real significant reflective problems onto neighboring areas.  See below.

  

 

        Picture I took last winter of the persistent and invasive sun  reflection issues  at a commercial thermal solar plant near Las Vegas NV. The picture was taken approximately 5 miles from the complex.  The closer you are the more disturbing this impact is.  However, the CV solar zoning geniuses have striped out in the revision any solar reflective protection regulations that might protect neighbors.  That is brilliant...literally!!!

 

 

There is also passive solar, like the house I live in in AZ, but which is far more integrated into the house design without exterior panels on the roof or ground , so this type of solar doesn’t create as much of a zoning issue.  The house would look pretty much like a regular house except it has integrated sunrooms or more south facing glass windows and doors, and heat storage is internal.

 

                                           Passive Solar Home

                    No panels, no power lines, no visual issues to

                      deal with and no specific zoning problems.

                       However, it is backed with natural

                         gas and conventional electricity.

None of this is addressed in our new zoning revisions.  Well…apparently the town supervisor has PV solar so that is all we really have to worry about!

But back to the basic question…why is the town promoting solar in the first place?  Why is the town playing favorites with heavily subsidized PV solar on the tax payer dime (just like wind) or any solar as a preferred energy type?  The town should not be promoting a preference in the energy markets to heavily subsidized energy sources, especially when they continue to prove they don’t have a clue what they are doing with solar… or can’t even read their own law about solar.  In the end this is an energy fiasco just like wind.

I don’t really mind if a person on a personal level chooses solar, ( I did almost 30 years ago, before it was fashionable)  but skip the tax breaks and the town should not be playing renewable favorites, since just like wind there is no science behind it to say it will do anything to change our climate or energy issues. 

 Although I love my solar house and chose to build it for many reasons, but I don’t pretend to believe I am saving the planet. Although if you want to think you are having a positive impact on the environment, in many ways passive solar makes a lot more sense than PV.  More on that in another post. The irony is that the town trashed wind, but in another breath LOVES solar that has many of the same issues, is more expensive, and about as or  more unreliable, and heavily subsidized.

Now that good Republican R. Wiley at his JLL blog has been screaming about these subsidies for several years...how come he isn't talking about the town's love affair with heavily subsidized solar???   Not a word! Maybe it isn't good cocktail party conversation...eh???  Especially when the person throwing the party has a solar panel!!!

Green zoning zealots with no science to back it up…and at the cost to the tax payer!!!  Is somebody cozy with the company Fourth Coast who is in the solar business??? Didn’t Fourth Coast also do the accounting of the water dist 2 issues?   It appears the supervisor and the town zoning geniuses are using zoning to irrationally and recklessly force solar on the community.

Not to mention  that one of the largest solar plants in the nation near Las Vegas NV (very sunny desert) has a paltry capacity factor of just 24%.  I did a double take when I saw how low that figure was in such a sunny climate.  So what about NNY that has far far more cloudy days????

One thing I think should be in our zoning if we are going to be promoting solar is a regulation that REQUIRES anyone who gets a CV permit to build a solar or wind project, residential or commercial to annually make public a full accounting of it’s performance.  It should show the capacity factors, costs, maintenance costs, and problems, savings on the electric bills, and projected savings to the life of the project. etc.  These projects go up but we never have a freakin clue as to whether they actually work or not.

Now I can hear some people screaming that govt can’t force a private individual or business to do that.

Well my answer is…why the hell not…they are using our tax money to make these projects viable, so they should be accountable as to what the performance is to educate the public as to whether this is viable, or just an expensive toy constructed with tax payer money.

I also noted a couple funny things about this solar zoning that seems awful hypocritical when you consider the CV wind zoning!

How come the CV solar zoning doesn’t require that there be no advertising on the solar panels or equipment?

  How come they don’t require power lines from solar projects to be underground? 

And geee…do ya think maybe that for roof top solar there might be some language for a roof inspection to make sure the roof structure can actually support the weight of solar panels? Especially considering CV is a place where additional significant snow and ice  loads could build up! 

Naaahhh…we will just do it the good ole boy way.  Just throw those panels up there, they are "green"…who cares if your roof collapses! 

Oh… and when that snow and ice slides off those panels…is it going land on somebody’s head????

They either don’t know what they are doing or they are hypocrites when it comes to THEIR favorite green renewable energy source and its tax breaks.

Stay tuned…more to come on the zoning revisions!

The Cape Vincent Solar Zoning Geniuses Are At It Again!!!!

The other day I saw that the new Cape Vincent zoning law revision was posted on the town website.

You can download it at this link and see the changes.

http://townofcapevincent.org/docs/cat_view/14-miscellaneous.html

Looks like the solar zoning fiasco that I exposed last summer and fall, and was reported in the  WDT has resulted in some changes in the Cape Vincent zoning law revision.  This would also be the same fiasco in which the town supervisor Mr. Hirschey was involved with his own illegal solar project he had to temporarily remove.

Well...the regulations are still screwed up, and have been significantly "loosened."

This should make Mr. Hirschey very happy, I'm sure!

My brother-in-law used to say years ago about Flagstaff zoning where I live...

"They build it...then we zone it!" 

 In other words build whatever you want, and then we will figure out how to zone it for you!

Yup...that pretty much explains the Cape Vincent solar zoning fiasco and Mr. Hirschey's solar project.  Wonder if he has something else planned?

I hope Mr. Hirschey doesn't have any plans for a toxic waste dump, or factory pig farm, or a bigger solar project!!!

Now it occurs to me that we now have a new CV councilwoman Michelle Oswald. She was also on the board when this original solar zoning mess started and badly aggrieved one of her fellow CV woman citizens.

The last time around she was rather silent as this mess unfolded.  We didn't hear her "Voice" on the matter!

Makes me wonder if she will sit still for this nonsense in the zoning revision this time around, or are social considerations more important than actual law and a rational consistent zoning process?

I will be posting more on the zoning revision soon.

Update - "The "Slide Fire" south of Flagstaff, AZ

The fire has slowed down or stalled temporarily about 10 miles or so south of town.

Thanks to brave fire fighters, air attack, back  burns, and fire lines.  But tomorrow is another windy day and things could change!

Thick smoke and ashes falling all over town, approximately 10 to 15 miles ahead of the fire.  No spot fires yet.  Scary!

I was in charge of 5 SAR teams ready to evacuate homes south of town, but the evacuation  is on hold for now.

Some pics from the fire evacuation staging area.

Major Forest Fire South of Flagstaff

A large wild land fire that started in Oak Creek Canyon has jumped up onto the rim and is burning
in the forest between Sedona and Flagstaff.

Last night our SAR team was called to evacuate homes in Oak Creek Canyon. 


                         Forest fire smoke drifts into  my neighborhood in Flagstaff.

"Whiskey Is For Drinking, Water Is For Fighting" - A Different Perspective On The Cape Vincent Water Line Fiasco

                                                         Water!   -   Like Gold !!!


The title quote of this post about whiskey and water is attributed to Mark Twain regarding western water rights.

WATER…yup, send us all you can spare!     So let’s look at some REAL water issues to keep this CV fiasco in perspective!

There has been a lot of hoopla in Cape Vincent in recent months over water system issues, who is connected, who isn’t etc.  I’m not going to address that here.  But here is a little perspective on water.

Here in the arid desert. S.W. we worry more about if we will actually HAVE water to connect to.  There is a saying in AZ that goes " If you see a dry gulley or "wash" that is a river.  If there is water in it...that's a flood!"

Or..."If you fall in a creek in AZ, make sure when you get out to dust yourself off!"

Today in Flagstaff the relative humidity was about 10%, and the wind was gusting up toward 40 mph.  That is fire weather.  For the next few days we are under a “Red Flag Warning, meaning the weather is prime for a disastrous forest fire.  Tomorrow the humidity is supposed to be 5%. 

I’m painting a part of my house.  Great weather to paint, except you gotta be fast so the paint doesn’t dry before you can get it on the house!!!

Our house sits in a forest setting like much or Flagstaff and the surrounding areas in all directions for many miles.  If you go outside this time of year and smell any smoke you scramble to find out where it is coming from as quickly as you can and hope it isn’t down wind of your neighborhood!!!

In search and rescue I have been on neighborhood evacuations in front of large forest fires and it is frightening! 
 

                                     A large forest fire near Flagstaff

                                                                     a few years ago!

                    

                                 Oooops!  Almost trapped. Took a wrong

                                                     road looking for homes to evacuate!

This year is particularly dangerous.  While the N. E. was getting hammered with snow, we and much of the West had an unusually dry winter.   

Snow may be a pain in the butt in the N.E., well maybe except for a white Christmas, but for us here in the S. W. it s a precious commodity like gold falling from the sky, that keeps fire dangers lower and recharges aquifers.  

                   The high mountains near Flagstaff covered in a precious blanket of 

                              thick  snow in winter 2005  Part of the Flagstaff water supply.
 

Note this news story from ABC about a little town not far from Flagstaff .

“In the northern Arizona city of Williams, restaurant patrons don't automatically get a glass of water anymore. Residents caught watering lawns or washing cars with potable water can be fined. Businesses are hauling water from outside town to fill swimming pools, and building permits have been put on hold because there isn't enough water to accommodate development.”

Read more at the link below

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/arizona-town-grand-canyon-runs-low-water-23676909

 Here in Flagstaff we are somewhat  better off since we have numerous sources of water, but we are on continuous restrictions, drought or not.  But we have been in a drought for more than a decade in the S. W, worse at time than others.

In CV I worry if the water will be high enough so my boat doesn’t drag bottom at the dock in August.  Here, I hope we get enough moisture so my house doesn’t burn down!!

We don’t have a lawn around our house…we have a “zero scape”  that doesn’t require much water. Our yard except for a few very small gardens, is natural forest landscape.  Such is the case with many homes in Flagstaff and in the desert. 
 

            Low water desert landscaping "Zeroscape" in Phoenix, AZ.  Even the green golf course is

                                                    watered with reclaimed sewage water.

 

On the other hand, a 600 ft. fountain and artificial lake

at the Fountain Hills development near Phoenix.  The fountain used to

run continuously but now only runs a few minutes on the hour.

 

The desert sprawl of Phoenix, AZ the" Valley of the Sun " from a  mountain park trail.

Cape Vincent water is right on its door step, but in AZ  water comes from wells, the N. AZ high snow country via dammed lakes and long canals, and via canal over 300 miles from the Colorado River.

 

Moving water around  in the desert is critical to life, and water

delivery engineering is fascinating and often a spectacular feat

 

This is a picture I took from the top of spectacular Hoover Dam near Las Vegas. It backs up

        the Colorado River and creates Lake Mead.  The white deposit on the cliffs is a "bathtub ring"

       where the high water used to be , probably as long ago as 1983 which was a very wet El Nino

       year in the desert SW.   The lake has dropped 75 to 100 ft. since then.  Las Vegas has had to

       lengthen and deepen its water intakes.  And believe it or not the Las Vegas hotels are actually

       models of water conservation according to what I have read.

 

 

               A rare 2005 winter drenching desert rain storm in Death Valley Ca., one of the driest places

               on  the  planet.  A wet winter of 2005 in the desert SW caused a rare spring desert flower

             display that only occurs maybe once in a decade or so. 

 

      

 

 

Rare desert flower displays after a wet winter.

'Where water flows...the desert grows!"

 

 

 

 

Water is so important in the SW that many Native American

 religious rituals are centered on water.  I have been fortunate to

attend  several  religious such  dances on the Hopi Indian reservation.

 

My wife’s father drilled the first Flagstaff water well and others for the city.  He along with my brother-in-laws when they were younger drilled deep wells all over the S. W., one as deep as 3700 ft. in Texas! 

 

Around Flagstaff it is common to have to drill 1500 to 2000 ft. or more to get water. 

When my folks lived in a mobile home park in Phoenix in the 1970's the park well was so deep the water must have been near geologic hotspot and the water came out of the well warm.  You couldn't  get a cold glass of water, and the irrigation ditches steamed on cold mornings in the winter.  

 Water out here is almost as valuable as oil or gold!

My one brother - in – law ended up working for the city water dept. which made sense because he actually helped drill  many of the city wells with his dad.  He is retired now.  So I thought I would ask him about what he thought of the CV water dist. 2 fiasco.  His first reaction was, he laughed and said…”that sounds illegal”!  He worked for the city water dept. a long time and he indicated he could not ever remember anyone pulling a stunt like that in Flagstaff.

Then we started talking about water meters, where he told me that to place a new water meter for a one inch residential line, which is not uncommon for many houses, as of Jan. 1, 2014, would cost you a tidy $12,895.00!!!    Like I said, we look at water here a little differently.

We are lucky in Flagstaff because we get water from a large mountain, a clean lake, and deep, deep wells.  The water is very good in quality and taste.

 I finally hooked up to CV water last summer, and I commend the CV water guys who were very friendly and helpful, but  I almost choke on CV tap water taste.

In fact water laws and water rights in the West are complicated and a BIG deal and people take them real seriously.  Not long ago in the West, screwing around with a water system, or violating somebody's water rights  might mean you could get a visit from the business end of a shotgun!  And NO  I am not suggesting that as a solution in CV!

Both  my brother-in-laws have visited CV in the past and were astonished when with no permit or paper work  I hooked up our old cottage pump and just put the line in the river and pumped all I wanted.  They couldn’t  believe that was legal.

So despite the CV water fiasco in water dist 2…count your blessings! 

But I still think the town should deal head on with what appears to be an abuse of the CV water system.

I would like to see these CV Water Dist 2 people try to get away with this crap in the desert S.W.  Shall I say… it isn’t likely this nonsense would be “tolerated”!

From a story on western water rights in Oregon below.

“Oregon was already 50 years old when a new statewide water law was passed in 1909. Up to that time, the laws had been vague, and disputes over water were common. When neighbors disagreed over who was entitled to water, the case was often settled with shotguns and dynamite. In that era, violence over water was so serious and so commonplace that Mark Twain is said to have observed, "Whiskey's for drinking; water's for fighting."
 

Oh by  the way...Enjoy your water while you can, because as people and businesses relocate to the sunny dry sunbelt of the  S. W. we are gaining VOTES.  before the housing market collapse Phoenix and Las Vegas were the fastest growing places in the country...and when we run out of water...we are coming for yours ... and we won't be coming with a little PVC pipe to hook up a few good ole buddy users!!!

   So much water above ...and so little below.  I love to be able to live the contrasts between the wet N. E. and the desert S. W.  I am also intrigued by the life style and cultural influences created by the abundance of water...or lack of it.  It has been a real education!

                           Hiking remote sand dunes in the
                      Cadiz Valley of the Ca. Mojave Desert.
                    We saw no other human tracks in the dunes.

 

 

Another Comment To Sarah Or Others - If they Are Still Out There In Blog Land !

In parts of your comment that you ( and  I) posted you said this.

"But frankly, we have all that information and you do not seem to be addressing
an existing problem right under your nose that you could have an impact on
that would help the issue and the community...

...but as others have already pointed out you seem to have missed what might be very timely and present conflict of interest with Paul Aubertine's discussion and vote."

So if you expect me to explore this issue and think I have missed the point, then I have a simple question for you on this matter, and I hope you will respond "publicly."

Do you agree with the final decision  of the  Cape Vincent Town Board on the new water dist. 2 & 3 fees etc.  Do you think that action is a  fair solution? 

I am not taking sides...just asking.

If you are concerned with Aubertine's potential conflict of interest on this matter, this is where we have to start.

Take An Inside Look At A Large Civilian / Military Search and Rescue Operation / Training - "Angel Thunder"

            
It is nice to have the opportunity to blog about something in my life other than the Cape Vincent wind and water issues.         
      Hope some of my readers will find this post interesting.

       This post was cleared by the U.S. Air Force " Angel Thunder"
                     Operations Public Information Officer.

              That too was a new blogging experience for me!

As I mentioned in a previous post, I was  involved with my search and rescue unit in a joint military/civilian search and rescue (SAR) exercise called  Angel Thunder.  Part of this operation took place in N. AZ in our county, as well as in other places across the American SW.  

              http://www.dm.af.mil/library/angelthunder2013.asp
                 

       Description of Angel Thunder from Rescue Global;

"Westminster London 0900 23rd April 2014
Rescue Global have been conducting intense training along with the integration of both new Pathfinder team members and equipment in preparation for their participation in Angel Thunder – the largest and most realistic joint service, multinational, inter-agency search and rescue exercise designed to provide training and testing at the highest level. The exercise will be held in Arizona during the first two weeks of May."



              Scene From Operation Angel Thunder that took place the last week in N. AZ.

       A helicopter crew chief directs an Air Force volunteer Civil Air Patrol ground team to safely board a AZ National Guard Blackhawk helicopter in a remote forest meadow.  They will be transported to a mass  casualty scene where a fictional village and American consulate have been attacked  by hostile forces.  When the scene has been secured by elite Air Force

 combat rescue forces (PJ's), our teams will search for and give  medical aid to

the victims who have fled the village and are lost and injured. The Air Force

 PJ's will give more medical aid then evacuate them by helicopter to a hospital.

 

 

 

I have been blessed with some very interesting and exciting opportunities, in my life and a wonderful wife who is willing to put up with them.  (or participates as my partner)!

This was a real interesting experience to say the least!  I was honored to be  invited by my sheriff’s dept. SAR commander to participate with some of the US military elite combat SAR rescue forces the Air Forces Combat SAR "PJ's"  The same guys who rescue soldiers and pilots behind enemy lines!  State side they also assist civilian SAR units like ours, and we have worked with them real time on some of our SAR incidents.  So this training was valuable practice for everyone. 

In the night scope video I shot below our SAR team works with the Air Force PJ's out of Nellis AF base Las Vegas, on a real civilian SAR mission.  Look carefully and you can see the PJ's being hoisted into the helo.

 

The Angel Thunder scenario for our team was that we were a SAR team from a fictional small country  faced with several mass casualty incidents over a couple of days and had to deal with those incidents. 

 The scenario included the fact that our small country would be overwhelmed by these incidents and we would have to request assistance from the U.S. military. 

Our operation would include assistance from our elite Air Force special forces Pararescue Jumpers called PJ’s. The same guys you see on the National Geographic Channel program “Combat Rescue’ with their extremely sophisticated UH 60 Pave Hawk combat rescue helicopters.   More about the "PJs" at the video link below.

Having worked with some with these guys in civilian SAR operations...take my word for it...these are real serious dudes!!!
 

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2011/09/04/a-look-at-one-the-u-s-militarys-most-elite-special-forces-usaf-pararescue/

 Also included were French special forces and Swedish special forces.   Then there was AZ Air National Guard and AZ Army National Guard as well as the Air Force Civilian Air Patrol, or CAP.

This could be like any number of current world SAR scenarios, Mayalsian Flt. 370, the captive girls in Nigeria, or the Ukraine  where U.S. military forces might be requested.

In addition an elite  private SAR group called Rescue Global was participating with us. Bear Grylls of the Discovery Channel show Man vs. Wild is associated with this group, although he was not at this operation.

http://www.rescueglobal.org/who-we-are

The particular incidents we faced were that a village had been attacked by “hostile forces” and many were dead or critically injured, and many had fled the village and scattered into remote forest and mountain terrain and were probably lost and injured.  

We had to first search for them,  give medical first aid, and then call for US military assistance.

Of course there was the possibility that “hostiles” were still in the area, and before we could do our SAR operations we had to call for the special combat SAR rescue forces to secure the area, and assist with medical aid and then evacuate the wounded by helicopter.

My role in this day one scenario was in the Incident Command (ICS) command post as the Deputy Operations Section Chief. 
 

 

In the high tech  National Guard communications command post.  I brief one of our SAR team leaders about his assignment on a map on a high tech flat screen touch screen monitor. It scrolls and annotates like the big TV monitors you see on CNN.

 

 

               The very sophisticated National Guard mobile communications command post trailer.

                           We watch helicopters in the Angel Thunder operation from a
                                           remote camera outside the command trailer.
                                      Thanks to the AZ Air National Guard guys for
                                             letting us use their command post.

               The planning and ops sections size up the incident from intelligence and makes a plan to respond to it.  The plan is then given to us in operations to develop appropriate and safe strategies and  tactics for the operation and safely assign appropriate resources in the right places with the appropriate equipment and expertise including the request for the elite Air Force PJs and other military units.

It gets intense as reports come in from the field and conditions are dramatically changing minute to minute  and you have to react to them. 

 In most of my SAR experience we don’t have to deal with  “hostile forces”.  That was a new twist for me!  Although we have been on SAR missions where we find out the guys we are searching for are “bad guys” with weapons.  Then we back off and law enforcement takes over.

The day two scenario was an American consulate had been attacked and the staff and American journalist and Peace Corps. worker had fled into remote terrain and were probably lost and  injured. I was sweating in anticipation of this one!

My role this day was in the field as a division supervisor.  Operations told me in general terms what they wanted done, and I had in the field supervision over 3 SAR teams. I was to develop on the spot tactics from the field perspective and direct the SAR operation from the remote field location with these teams.

 

Directing SAR teams to search for our two injured victims, and keeping in communication with the command post as to what is happening in the field.  Since our teams found our victims and they were critically injured, I'm requesting the Air Force PJ.s and their helicopter for medical assistance and evacuation.

 The computer in the vehicle has sophisticated map software on which by GPS shows my exact location real time and I can plot locations of important events happening in the field.  I can also provide the precise location of field teams to helicopters and the command post.  Plotting the incident on the computer map provides me with a big overview of what is happening in the whole incident and a detailed map of the terrain in and around the incident.  If I have cell data coverage I can split the screen and have a topo map on one side and a Google Earth satellite image on the other side. Each searcher carries a GPS unit, and when they return we can also down load GPS tracks and see on a map exactly where they have searched.  When we respond in the dark or bad weather this technology is incredibly helpful.  I once had to direct an exhausted SAR team in a mountain blizzard at 10,000 ft. to safety using this technology from a remote location based on their GPS reports of their location.

 

In the video below the Air Force PJ's arrive on our SAR scene to evacuate the injured. 

  

I am fortunate to have been trained  the Air Force and Nat. Park Service at Grand Canyon in SAR management, and have experience helping to manage numerous SAR incidents, but this would be a hand full and especially considering the eyes of the elite Air Force PJ special combat SAR forces would be watching and participating.  Thought maybe an old guy like me at 63 had bitten off more than I could chew.  But it all went pretty well although it was intense!  It really pushed my skills.

National Guard Blackhawks pick up the CAP SAR ground team and transports them home to Phoenix.  See video below.

    Myself and my assistant didn't get a  ride in the helicopters.  We had a bumpy ride back to the command post on a rough 4wd road to have a debriefing to see how we did.

                        Fortunately we got a favorable review!

          Thanks to the Air Force and the Coconino County, AZ
       Sheriffs Office, and my SAR Team for this unique experience!!