Dawson County residents will have a say this June on whether to limit the height of structures in the county to 250 feet, a measure driven largely by opposition to wind energy development.
A group of citizens successfully petitioned to get the issue on the ballot, challenging a commissioners' resolution on development.
Watch Dawson County wind mill story here:
Rick Holden, a farmer, rancher, and former state senator, is among those leading the effort.
"I don't think the citizens of Glendive or the rural people in Dawson County want industrial turbines covering the countryside, and the adverse effects that kind of development brings," Holden said.
Holden said commissioners in nearby Prairie and Macomb counties have already put limits on the height of structures, which could stop windmill projects in those areas. He said residents in Dawson County followed a similar path.
"Unless the people do what they did in Dawson County, Prairie County, and Macomb County and take this under their own wing and establish these citizen-initiated zoning districts and ballot measures, they will proceed," Holden said.
Dawson County Commissioner Dennis Zander said the discussion has been more about anti-wind energy, and it should be about individual property rights.
"I'm not for wind energy because it's more expensive, and that gets put on the ratepayer. I am not a proponent of wind, but I am a proponent of private property rights," said Zander, who declined an on-camera interview.
Holden acknowledged that landowners have the right to allow wind turbines on their own property, but he said the rights of neighboring property owners must also be considered.
"That's a selfish position. And when you have a 600-foot wind turbine on your property, you can't for a minute believe that it's not going to affect the private property rights of the person just across the fence line," Holden said.
Some proposed windmill projects in Dawson County and nearby counties are already on hold. When asked about the Dawson County vote to limit structures to 250 feet, NextEra Energy Resources responded with a statement.
"NextEra Energy Resources remains committed to Montana, and we will continue to evaluate options for Glendive," said Sarah Johnson, NextEra leader of development communications. "We believe the location is ideal and that generation at this site would enhance Montana’s grid and deliver meaningful local benefits."
Holden said getting the issue on the ballot is already a win for Dawson County residents.
"My message is this: Don't sit back and wait for it to happen to you. You need to take steps now to consider what kind of development you want because that development is coming," Holden said.
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