Sleepy Hollow could benefit from solar farms

To the editor,

We decided that the best place for us to retire was in the Sleepy Hollow Lake (SHL) community (currently renting a home in Coxsackie). Shortly after we purchased our land and started building our home, we learned that our lake was included on the DEC HAB (harmful algae bloom) list for 2018. This was not welcome news.

Our lake is the SHL source of drinking water, recreation, and is part of the value of everyone’s property here. That in turn has an impact on the amount of taxes contributed to the annual tax revenue for the towns of Coxsackie and Athens, a considerable portion of the total intake of taxes for each town.

The lake must be cleaned up. Statewide, HAB is caused by conventional farm runoff of particulate matter and the use of nitrogen and phosphorus. Those factors along with global warming speed the process of harmful algae growth.

It was encouraging to learn that two utility-scale solar farms were being proposed on the watershed for SHL. The successful completion of the solar farms would solve a number of problems.

1) Most people welcome solar farms as they understand the impact of global warming on the Earth and realize we must make every effort to reduce our carbon footprint.

2) The farmers involved are not able to sustain their family by conventional farming. Allowing them to plant rows of solar panels instead of soybeans or corn will support the family farm.

3) The cessation of conventional farming will reduce particles and nutrients runoff. Research shows that this can reduce particulate runoff by 90 percent and nutrients by 83 percent. (Harmel et al. 2006) This is expected to have a positive impact on water quality in SHL.

4) The water quality of SHL should improve, which in turn will have a positive impact on SHL property values for more than 800 homes, owner’s health and use of the lake.

5) Solar farms can help preserve grassland habitat for the area’s beloved northern harrier and short-eared owl. Solar farms are the most benign use of defunct farmland.

6) The solar farms will contribute considerable additional revenue to both towns. Everybody wins.

If you would like to learn more about the Hecate Greene Solar and Flint Mine Solar projects, please come to an information session presented by citizen advocates from NYPAN Greene, RiSE https://riseforeveryone.wixsite.com/website and Mothers Out Front Greene County, at Pegasus Restaurant, 10885 SR 9W, Coxsackie, 1-3 p.m. March 31. Refreshments will be provided.

Donald and Cari Gardner

Athens