Justin William

You’re looking at a solar complex smack dab in the middle of one of the rarest ecosystems in the Northeast: a pine barren. Those of you from Albany, NY probably know why pine barrens are so important: they support the federally endangered Karner Blue butterfly. A pine barren habitat exists at the Albany Pine Bush Preserve, although developers are keen on shrinking its size with one recently proposing building 210 apartments on the preserve in Guilderland, NY. Many don’t realize that another critically important pine barren can be found in Wilton, NY. It’s known as the Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park. Like the developer seeking to build 210 apartments at the edge of the Albany Pine Bush, this solar developer set up shop at the edge of the Wilton Wildlife Park. Beautiful, and rare, pine barren was destroyed for perimeter fencing and Chinese-made panels that generate at only 15% of their annual potential in this climate. No one’s electric bills went down. The Karner Blue butterfly is federally endangered because its habitat is almost gone. Clearing any more of their habitat for a green energy scam that’s robbing our state of its beautiful biodiversity is disgusting. To call yourself an environmentalist and think that this is a “necessary evil” is a sign that propaganda has melted your brain. The Karner Blue is one of the most celebrated species of Upstate NY. How the Wilton town, planning, and zoning boards allowed this is beyond me. It all has to do with money. With the subsidies and credits and the quiet deals paid off to board members. They sneak these proposals on the agenda minutes at the last second. No one notices. Next thing you know, you have an herbicide-soaked (herbicides kill butterflies) ecological detention center in the middle of what should be a protected and revered ecosystem. This is why everyone has to start attending your town board and planning board meetings. Get active and stay alert. Trillions of dollars are being siphoned through foreign renewable conglomerates intent on destroying our American environment.