More than 8,350 have now signed petition applauding Hassan’s defense of New Hampshire’s natural and cultural heritage
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- Northern Pass
Concord, NH Oct. 30 -- An additional 1,550 petitions, signed by citizens urging the burial of the proposed Northern Pass transmission line, were sent to the New Hampshire Governor’s Office today. A first batch of petitions was delivered this summer--to date more 8,350 people have signed the petition.
“Everywhere we look we see new, innovative underground transmission technology proposals,” the petition says. “Please ask Northeast Utilities and Hydro-Quebec either to bury the entire project in New Hampshire or stop it altogether.”
Both Gov. Maggie Hassan and gubernatorial candidate Walt Havenstein said that they oppose Northern Pass as proposed in their public debate.
Four years ago this month Northeast Utilities and Public Service of NH went public with the proposed 180 mile overhead transmission line, which would be a private line for the exclusive use of Hydro-Quebec. Since that time, opposition to the project has been widespread. 31 towns have voted to oppose Northern Pass, and in September 2013 thousands voiced opposition at Dept. of Energy hearings. As a non-reliability project, Northern Pass does not have access to eminent domain under state law, and would need multiple federal and state permits to be able to go forward.
The Forest Society and the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) collaborated with the Conservation Media Group to launch the petition earlier this year. Of the 8,350 signatures, 6,800 people signed the petition online, which can be found at http://www.conservationmediagroup.org/petition/bury-or-stop-northern-pass. In July Forest Society President/Forester Jane Difley and AMC’s Director of Conservation Susan Arnold delivered 6,230 signatures to the Governor’s Office. Additional signatures have come since that time.
The Forest Society is a private, non-profit land trust and forestry organization established in 1901. It currently holds more than 750 conservation easements statewide permanently protecting more than 120,000 acres of New Hampshire’s landscapes. The Forest Society also owns 174 forest reservations constituting 53,000 acres in more than 100 New Hampshire communities.