JANUARY 28, 2025|
Photo – Wind turbines and cranes – Bigfoot99 file photo
Two University of Colorado graduate students presented their survey findings on the coexistence of outdoor recreation and wind energy projects.
This past Saturday, University of Colorado graduate students Bonnie Johnson and Thomas Lawrence held a meeting in the Best Western CottonTree Inn in Rawlins to discuss the findings of their recently completed outdoor recreation and wind energy development survey.
Johnson said, working with the Continental Divide Trail Coalition, she and Lawrence tried to anticipate the effect the Chokecherry and Sierra Madre wind energy project will have on nearby hiking trails.
The Chokecherry and Sierra Madre wind energy project is currently under construction south of Rawlins. When completed, it will consist of roughly 600 turbines and produce over 3,000 megawatts of electricity, making it the largest land-based wind farm in the United States. However, the power generated at the site will not be used here in Wyoming, instead, the power will be sent to Nevada, Arizona, and southern California.
Thomas Lawrance explained that the Chokecherry and Sierra Madre project is being built near the Continental Divide Trail, or CDT, and the historic Overland trail, making Rawlins the epicenter for both hiking and wind energy.
The Continental Divide Trail is a 3,000-long path leading from Mexico, through the central United States, to Canada. Wyoming sits near the midway point of the trail, with Rawlins, Encampment, and Riverside serving as official CDT Gateway Communities.
Lawrence explained how he and Johnson surveyed 12 people during the Rawlins Adventure Fest last July. The UC grad student stated that most respondents reported enjoying hunting and hiking south of Rawlins. However, the same individuals said they would prefer not to hike close to the Chokecherry and Sierra Madre wind turbines.
Lawrence and Johnson also created an online survey asking people to rate the importance of outdoor recreation in Carbon County. Lawrence said the results showed that the majority of the 55 respondents value outdoor activities, with Carbon County residents overwhelmingly supporting outdoor recreation in the area.
The online survey also asked respondents to rate how often wind energy development should take priority over access to outdoor recreation. Despite Carbon County’s push for wind energy, Lawrence said most people do not support replacing hunting and hiking trails with wind turbines.
Lawrence reported that roughly one-third of survey respondents said wind energy should sometimes take priority over outdoor recreation.
Road construction work has been underway at the Chokecherry and Sierra Madre wind energy project. Construction of wind turbines could begin later this year. Lawrence said survey respondents offered mixed opinions on whether wind energy and outdoor recreation can coexist.
Lawrence said locals agree that wind energy is important to the economic growth of Rawlins. However, reading a quote from a survey respondent, Lawrence said some people are worried that the city will not benefit enough from the nearby Chokecherry and Sierra Madre project.
Through their in-person discussions and survey responses, Lawrence and Johnson concluded that, overall, Carbon County residents value outdoor recreation over wind energy development. Both University of Colorado graduate students said residents should work with wind energy developers and local conservation organizations to ensure access to hunting, fishing, and hiking grounds are not limited by wind turbine construction.
