[Carpenter] MYSTIC EYES FOR GPC

Wed Oct 7 11:40:16 CDT 2009

Emily FinneganEmily Finnegan
Producer/Reporter
efinnegan at ktvo.com

School: Truman State University, Kirksville, MO
Hometown: St. Louis

My interest in broadcast journalism began in my childhood, and only 
continued to grow when I became involved with the campus stations while 
attending Truman State. While a student, I reported for News 36, and also 
wrote for the campus newspaper. During my senior year I interned at KTVO, 
which helped lead me to my current position.

My family is from St. Louis, and I was born and grew up in that area. As a 
child I loved musical theater, and performed in my school plays and sang 
whenever possible. Singing and watching live theater remain two of my 
favorite hobbies. Although I am away from my home in St. Louis, I stay close 
with my parents and younger brother, whose love and support are largely 
responsible for where I am today. I am fortunate to have a little bit of 
family here in Kirksville with me, as my brother Max is now a student at 
Truman! When I am not at work, I enjoy reading, shopping, watching movies, 
baking, and most of all spending time with my friends who continue to 
support me in my new home in Kirksville.

Please don't hesitate to contact me at efinnegan at ktvo.com with any story 
ideas or questions! I look forward to getting to know the Heartland even 
better!

Producer/Reporter
efinnegan at ktvo.com

School: Truman State University, Kirksville, MO
Hometown: St. Louis

My interest in broadcast journalism began in my childhood, and only 
continued to grow when I became involved with the campus stations while 
attending Truman State. While a student, I reported for News 36, and also 
wrote for the campus newspaper. During my senior year I interned at KTVO, 
which helped lead me to my current position.

My family is from St. Louis, and I was born and grew up in that area. As a 
child I loved musical theater, and performed in my school plays and sang 
whenever possible. Singing and watching live theater remain two of my 
favorite hobbies. Although I am away from my home in St. Louis, I stay close 
with my parents and younger brother, whose love and support are largely 
responsible for where I am today. I am fortunate to have a little bit of 
family here in Kirksville with me, as my brother Max is now a student at 
Truman! When I am not at work, I enjoy reading, shopping, watching movies, 
baking, and most of all spending time with my friends who continue to 
support me in my new home in Kirksville.

Please don't hesitate to contact me at efinnegan at ktvo.com with any story 
ideas or questions! I look forward to getting to know the Heartland even 
better!

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Kevin Carpenter" <kevinc at mysticplains.org>
Sent: Wednesday, October 07, 2009 11:20 AM
To: "Frank Oberle" <foberle at nemr.net>; "Carpenter Prairie in the Mystic 
Plains COA" <carpenter at mysticplains.org>
Subject: Re: [Carpenter] MYSTIC EYES FOR GPC

> All -
>
> I attempted to send this to Emily, but it was bounced as SPAM!  I'll try
> again...
>
> Emily -
>
> I recently had the pleasure of reading your article on the proposed
> Shuteye Creek wind farm.
>
> I am a member of the Missouri Prairie Foundation, which is member of the
> Missouri Grassland Coalition. My wife and I purchased a 121 acre farm in
> the Missouri Department of Conservation designated Mystic Plains
> Conservation Opportunity Area (in Adair County) about 2 years ago as
> part of our commitment to prairie restoration and restoration of habitat
> to endangered species like the Greater Prairie Chicken.
>
> The Greater Prairie Chicken is considered an indicator species within
> prairies - one animal that likely represents many, much like frogs serve
> as indicators of healthy wetlands.
>
> We believe our investment and desire to help endangered species is being
> seriously threatened by the proposed wind farm. Research shows that
> Prairie Chickens require large (thousands of acres) areas of open
> grassland and avoid areas with tall structures (be it tall trees that
> predator hawks perch on or wind mills that just look like tall predator
> perches). Of course, the taller the structure, the greater the sense of
> threat. Of course, wind mills tend to be MUCH taller than any natural
> structure and thus represent a greater threat. Additionally, recent
> observation indicates that primary social areas for the birds gravitate
> towards areas in excess of 1000 feet of elevation. Of course, these are
> prime wind mill sites - so we are in a state of conflict.
>
> I was curious if you could help us, if not directly, perhaps simply by
> helping us get in contact with some of the other opposition groups -
> like the "members of the Kirksville School Board and some Kirksvilel
> residents are against creating an enhanced enterprise zone".
>
> Can you help us in this or other ways? We are "swimming upstream" on
> this issue, fighting against potential tax revenue, jobs, and energy for
> creatures that have no say. Any assistance you can provide would be
> greatly appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Kevin & Evia Carpenter
> Farm Owners, Adair County
>
> Below is a bit of reference material. Honestly, I cut & pasted this from
> some active conversations currently occurring between concerned
> individuals. Much of this was included in a letter (which I can provide
> you if you wish) to Jay Nixon cosigned by many of the conservations 
> groups.
>
> At least 15 million acres of Missouri, covering more than a third of the
> state, were prairie at the time of European settlement. Fewer than
> 90,000 acres remain - approximately 2/10th of 1 percent! The
> bio-diversity represented within native prairies is 2nd only to tropical
> rain forest and indo-pacific reefs on the planet <reference needed>. We
> are discovering new uses for this resource on a regular basis such as
> for potentially renewable bio-fuel feed stock, cap and trade carbon
> sequestering, and natural beef production.
>
> Today these prairie fragments have been recognized by the state as 9 of
> the 35 designated Conservation Opportunity Areas (COAs). These COAs are
> being jointly managed by over 18 government and non-government
> organizations. Planned large scale commercial wind farms are a threat to
> the bio-diversity within these prairie fragments.
>
> We request that the state of Missouri protect the 9 grassland COAs from
> development of Wind Turbine or similar wildlife questionable commercial
> scale technologies. This could be accomplished by place a very small
> portion of the state, including the COAs themselves and a reasonable
> buffer zone, off-limits for such development. Doing so would have a huge
> positive impact to the states conservation efforts, while leaving 99+%
> of the state open for creating the jobs and power America needs.
> Landowners in the protected zone would, of course, still be free to
> install home class wind units for individual usage and potential feeding
> into the local power grid per existing state laws and incentive
> programs. These smaller units would have a minimal impact, since they
> are typically located near domestic housing and associated pre-existing
> infrastructure.
>
> Talking points:
>
> . Prairie is home to more than 800 native plants, thousands of native
> pollinators and other insects and invertebrates, and a diversity of
> vertebrate animals.
> . Prairie plant roots, some growing as deep at 15 feet, sequester
> carbon, build rich soil, help with groundwater recharge and protect
> streams.
> . Meat from cattle and bison raised on native tallgrass prairie is
> nutritious and delicious. Grazing by these animals provides excellent
> vegetation structure for wildlife. Cattle on prairie help cattle
> producers afford to keep prairie as prairie.
> . Many plants that are hardy and water-efficient for our home and
> corporate landscaping are native to Missouri's prairies. Our prairies
> are genetic reservoirs that can provide us with future resources to
> improve our lives
> . According to Charles Pappas, planner with the Missouri Department of
> Natural Resources Energy Center, the trend among wind energy companies
> is to site at least 150 to 250 towers on at least 10,000 acres. We
> understand that a current project in northeastern Missouri may affect
> 60,000 acres. Because so little of Missouri's original prairie remains,
> we are especially concerned with prairie habitat fragmentation that
> could occur with wind power of this scale within any of Missouri's nine
> grassland COAs, and most immediately in the Mystic Plains, Grand River
> Grasslands and Loess Hills Conservation Opportunity Areas in northern
> Missouri
>
> For more information on the Grassland Coalition and the Greater Prairie
> Chicken you might find the following links useful:
>
> http://mdc.mo.gov/landown/grass/coalition/partners.htm
> http://www.durrillgraphics.com/webpages/lektrek/htm/five.htm
> http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/missouri/files/missouri_grasslands.pdf
>
>

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