Marys Peak BPA Communication Site Project
The following comments were submitted in response to the open comment period described below.
Comments are numbered consecutively as they are received. Breaks in the number sequence result when comments are deleted because they
were submitted in error or have inappropriate content (such as SPAM). If you do not see your comment two business days after
you submit it, please contact (800) 622-4519.
The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) needs to maintain and upgrade its existing communication site located at Marys Peak, approximately 12 miles southwest of Corvallis, in Benton County, Oregon. Some equipment is outdated and unstable and needs to be replaced. The BPA communication site needs a more reliable back-up power source due to potential power outages.
BPA communication network is essential for the safety and reliability of BPA’s power transmission system. The existing Marys Peak BPA communication site provides for real-time voice communication, via VHF radio, between BPA’s dispatch and control centers and the BPA field crews working in the region. This communication network allows for critical information exchange during emergencies, safe and timely power restoration during outages, and supports control of the larger regional BPA power transmission network in the Pacific Northwest.
BPA will prepare an environmental assessment under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to identify potential alternatives, analyze potential impacts of each alternative, and identify mitigation measures that would help avoid or minimize those impacts. BPA is accepting scoping comments for the EA through Dec. 2, 2016.
For More Information:
https://www.bpa.gov/goto/maryspeak
Close of comment: 12/2/2016
- MP16 0001 -
paceFor consideration, if there are no significant impacts on the physical environment--natural resources + ecosystem services--and the upgrade is primarily for improving communications, then it seems to me that this would properly be a project that could (and should) be excluded from public review. I don't believe it is in the public interest to disclose the nature of the facilities, provide detailed information regarding their operation--all with accompanying maps describing access routes etc. If there are upgrades needed for road access and other activities that affect the physical environment, then do NEPA on those. I don't really think there is much need to go into the reasons for my suggestion. It's respectfully submitted for consideration only. Thanks.
- MP16 0003 -
BartonPlease view attachment.
View Attachment
- MP16 0004 -
Fairchild/Audubon Society of CorvallisPlease view attachment.
View Attachment
- MP16 0005 -
JenkinsGentlemen:
The security and operational capability of the nation's power grid,
of which BPA is an important part, directly affects everyone. While I am not opposed to upgrading the Marys Peak communication site,
I believe a better alternative to VHF radio, which is generally limited to a 100 mile radius and affected by terrain features, would be to convert BPA's communication system to satellite communications
(SATCOM).
The advantages of SATCOM is greater bandwidth to support voice, data and video while providing greater security by less reliance on ground stations which could be vulnerable to vandalism or attack. VHF range and terrain limitations would no longer be an issue.
I have attached Boeing's SATCOM product card which describes SATCOM capabilities. For the record, I am not affiliated with Boeing, although I am, as an individual investor, a Boeing shareholder.
View Attachment
- MP16 0006 -
Steed/Cascade Paragliding ClubThe communication facilities have been on the Marys Peak summit for all my almost 40 years here, so I can't object very strongly. But the recent fence around them claimed a huge additional space and considerably curtailed our paraglider launch options. This site is still seldom flown by gliders, but it is an excellent year-round site under the right weather conditions. I am also among those who consider it a favorite hiking spot, with its many challenging trails. Yes, it would be nice to rid this scenic summit of the entire communications facility, but until every building and the surrounding fence are gone, we will continue to make do. You can see more about paragliding on Marys Peak at cascadeparaglidingclub.org.
- MP16 0007 -
KeeganI am a paragliding pilot and hiker, and would enjoy an unobstructed summit. I am in favor of relocating the antennas downslope if possible, as long as the cost is not prohibitive.
- MP16 0008 -
Heath/citizenHello,
I have been going up to Marys Peak since I was a kid. And whenever we have guests from out of town,we take them up to the Peak for a hike. It is a beautiful and special place.
However, every time I climb up to the summit of Marys Peak, I am disappointed and ashamed of the ugly mess of metal and concrete fenced in there. This should be a sacred place for all the public to share.
I urge the BPA to identify an alternate site to put their equipment, leading the way to restore the Marys Peak summit to its original beauty.
Thank You
- MP16 0009 -
Hays/manyMarys Peak is not just another communications site. It is one of the most unique recreational sites on the west coast. Where else can the ordinary citizen drive to the top of the highest mountain around - on a paved road in an ordinary passenger car - and enjoy the splendid vista of the Cascade Mountains from Washington to California, with the Willamette Valley spread out below, and a view of the Coast Range and the Pacific Ocean? Wildflower blooms in spring and summer add to the beautiful vistas. There is no other place like it. About 100,000 people visit the mountain yearly to enjoy these amenities.
The summit is home to several rare subalpine plant communities found nowhere else. The communication site occupies a large part of this subalpine habitat, and is a great detriment to the survival of these plant communities.
The summit of Marys Peak (te-chi-man-we, "place of the spirits") was a sacred place for spirit quests for Native Americans for thousands of years before eastern settlers arrived here. It is still a sacred place for the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz and Grand Ronde Nations. The communications site is an affront to the special cultural value of the peak.
The land was acquired by the Forest Service in the 1940s for a recreational site. It's unique botanical, scenic, cultural and recreational values led the Forest Service to declare the top of the mountain a Special Interest Area.
The communication site is the result of a blunder on the part of the US Air Force. After trashing the summit and building a radar site the Air Force abandoned it without ever using it. It should never have happened! The existing communication site should be removed and the summit restored to its natural state as much as possible.
Because of the large number of visitors the Marys Peak summit site is the least secure place in the Coast Range. The existing fence is a joke. It will not stop anyone determined to do damage to the communication site. It just causes people to wander over a wider area, enhancing environmental damage.
Clearly this place should not be desecrated by the hideously ugly communication site at the most important botanical, cultural, recreational and scenic spot in the entire Coast Range! The communications facilities should be moved from the summit to somewhere else, leaving the land to be used for its most important values.
BPA needs to communicate via omnidirectional VHF radio with crews working on the Corvallis-Toledo transmission line and the north/south transmission line along the coast. UHF/microwave communication to the West Hills site near Salem is also needed. This can be accomplished by moving the communication equipment to the City of Corvallis West Point site on Marys Peak. At 3650 feet elevation it is higher than any other mountain in the region (except Marys Peak summit) and has clear communications with places to the north, west and south. It has about 25 acres of usable space (less than 0.5 acre at the summit). The road is gated and there is no recreational use at this site.
For communication to the north, east and south with crews traveling on I5 and the roads in the Willamette Valley the two communications sites on Vineyard Mountain north of Corvallis have line of site to all of the southern Willamette Valley. At 1400 feet elevation the mountain rises about 1000 feet above the valley below.
I strongly urge BPA to remove its communications facilities from the summit of Marys Peak and start the process of elimination of the communication site from the summit of the mountain. Help restore Marys Peak to its historical splendor and make it the eighth Natural Wonder of Oregon!
- MP16 0010 -
KearlI am involved in several organizations that utilize the Marys Peak communications site for day-to-day routine, emergency, and disaster radio communications. I greatly value the communications resource that this site (including the USFS repeater building) represents to a multitude of agencies and organizations. I also value the reliable power delivery objectives of BPA.
I would like to learn more details about the proposed project. The BPA project website is so vague it is almost useless as to understanding the proposed scope of work. I also wonder about the need for the completion of a full EA/EIS process.
Please provide me with a statement of work and drawings of the project, and the need for EA/EIS review.
Thank you.
- MP16 0011 -
Kearl/SeveralPlease provide a listing of all of the organizations and agencies that are currently utilizing the Marys Peak summit site for communications (both in the BPA and USFS buildings).
- MP16 0012 -
Kearl/SeveralMarys Peak is indeed a wonderful place for people to enjoy. It is owned by all of us, and provides benefits to the entire region. In addition to the unique natural beauty, geological, biological, and cultural values, it also provides a critical component of the regional communications infrastructure for a large number of agencies and organizations.
This “high ground” is very valuable for radio communications that rely on line-of-sight signal propagation. A variety of life safety-critical communications utilize this unique location. Fire and emergency medical responders in Benton County depend on this site for a significant portion of their communications, especially in the rural parts of the county. Wildland fire dispatch, transportation infrastructure, natural resource agencies, and law enforcement users are also on this site. BPA’s communications equipment is critical for the safe and reliable operation of our regional power grid. Additionally, the amateur radio repeater on this site is a highly valued resource for emergency communications, including wilderness search and rescue and regional disaster response.
It is hard to propose project options without insight into the available funding. Given access to “significant” funds, the suggested project scope should include the following elements:
1) Support and maintain all the existing communications resources on the unique Marys Peak summit site (including those in both BPA and USFS buildings).
2) Enhance the appearance of the summit communications infrastructure. Consider consolidation of the structures on the Marys Peak summit into one building, and a small number of relatively short communication towers. The design of this new building should include aesthetic as well as functional considerations.
3) Decrease the summit footprint of the communications site by appropriate perimeter fence relocation and reduction.
4) Enhance the seismic and weather resistance robustness of the communications building and tower(s).
5) Enhance the physical security and electrical power reliability of the communications infrastructure.
6) Consider functional consolidation of the communications structure with the observation deck structure that has been proposed by other users of the site.
The life safety, critical infrastructure support, and emergency/disaster response communications value of the Marys Peak summit location is unequaled in western Oregon. This communications “high ground” cannot be readily replaced. Lower elevation sites, with only partial line-of-sight visibility, are unlikely to provide a viable communications alternative without extensive and very expensive additional development.
- MP16 0013 -
LillieThe 360 degree perspective that makes the top of Marys Peak an ideal place for communication towers also makes this summit meadow a very special place for many different people. It is truly an “island in the sky” that deserves special protection and restoration to its pristine state.
Marys Peak rises far above the landscape of the Oregon Coast Range and has unique climate and ecology. Native Americans used the summit area for vision quests. In recent times numerous individuals, families and organizations continue to use the peak for hiking and other outdoor recreation. The top of the peak is an island in that it has a unique ecosystem of Noble Fir forests and Alpine meadows that are the remaining vestiges of the last Ice Age. Yet the artificial towers and fencing dominate the landscape of this most remarkable natural place.
It is hoped that within the next 20 to 30 years the towers and fencing on top of Marys Peak will be removed and the meadow restored. BPA can take a leadership role in this effort by working with all concerned to find a suitable site nearby to site its communication equipment. One possibility might be the top of West Point within one mile of the summit, an area owned by the City of Corvallis and currently hosting communication equipment.
We thank BPA for its efforts to work with the public to site its equipment in the best possible ways so people's needs for both energy and a healthy and livable environment are met. Thank you for considering this comment.
- MP16 0014 -
WeeksThe meeting you held on November 9 at Philomath High School was very helpful and much appreciated. Please have another public meeting when you have more specific ideas and options available. During that meeting please provide time for questions and public discussion.
The most recent constructon on the top of Marys Peak was done without regard for aesthetics or concern for the environmental and cultural sensitivity of the summit meadows. It increased the footprint of the equipment site and further damaged sensitive vegitation within a designated Scenic Botanical Special Interest Area.
It is hoped that BPA will act beyond its needs to install communications equipment and work with everyone concerned for this very special place. Please consider siting equipment entirely away from the summit meadow of Marys Peak. If there is no other viable site other than the top of Marys Peak, options such as working within a plan to house equipment on top of a more aesthetically-pleasing structure (such as a pubic observation tower) should be considered.
- MP16 0015 -
SwansonNovember 18, 2016
To: Bonneville Power Administration
Subject: Comments communications equipment on the top of Mary’s Peak
I would like to comment on the development of future plans for the communications equipment on the top of Mary’s Peak. Since I first moved to Corvallis in 1975, I have experienced the peak as a powerful place for spiritual rejuvenation on many occasions. I ask you, would you want to keep a bunch of electronic communications equipment on your place of worship’s central altar? Mary’s Peak has been a “spirit mountain” (“Tamanwis”) for indigenous peoples living in our region for thousands of years. While for hundreds of years most Americans have taken a utilitarian view that treats nature as a “natural resource” to be exploited for lumber, for precious metals, and in this case for modern human technological advancements, we are beginning to reawaken and understand and value nature as a “community of life.” I believe its value as a sacred site is the most important reason that the top of Mary’s Peak is not the right place to put a half-acre enclave of communications equipment surrounded by a heavy-duty chain-link fence. I would urge you to consider alternative sights so that one of our area’s most beautiful and sacred sites can be rehabilitated to a more pristine natural state for the enjoyment and well-being of all. While I think it is great you are taking public input, I see this as so complex with so many agencies and stakeholders invested in the current site, that I wonder if there is the political will to seriously consider alternatives. When I asked at the November 9th meeting, I was assured that alternative locations would be considered, yet no one was able to share any history that would indicate that any alternatives have ever been considered or evaluated to date. When I expressed my support for finding an alternative site, I was often asked what my alternative plan would be. This is like asking a citizen who does not want an airport in their back yard to come up with an alternative site for the airport. I ask that your experts provide us with viable alternatives to choose from if you are serious about considering other options.
Thank you for your consideration
- MP16 0016 -
harrisI appreciate your plans to do an environmental assessment as the top of Marys Peak is a sensitive botanical area. There are pants there that only exist on the top of Marys Peak. Please consider the BEAUTY of the area which is being marred by the unsightly equipment.
I understand how important it is to have a good communication network esp. during emergencies however now is a good opportunity to see if another site could accomplish the same goal.
The role of public comment is so vital as so many Oregonians and visitors come for the spectacular view.
- MP16 0017 -
Saalsaa/PHILOMATH PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION LOCAL 4925While this is an impact study for options for this specific project, I remind everyone that the public safety communications systems are also tied into these communication 'farms'. Any movements of the current location of the repeaters would be detrimental to the communications system in place for public safety, putting the public as well as responders at risk. Again, while this public comment is focused on BPA - it impacts much more than just this system. We recommend that a plan is put in place to provide for public safety communication that is as adequate as exists today or better.
- MP16 0018 -
Miller/Benton Co Fire Defense BoardMarys Peak repeater site is truly the backbone of all 911 communications for Benton and Linn Counties. That repeater has been on that location for 40 years and removing or relocating it will truly affect emergency responders in our area. Currently the system is set up to cover areas that cannot be covered from any other vantage point. If we were to replace that equipment, it would cost the county about $3.5 million to add needed repeaters and to provide adequate reception for all emergency responders. Benton County does not have these kinds of reserves set aside for such a project. This will cause us to seek other sources of revenue including going to the taxpayers in the form of bond or a 911 district to fund such a project. I would like to think that careful consideration will be taken about this site and its future. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns on this topic.
- MP16 0019 -
HacklemanPlease view attachment.
View Attachment
- MP16 0020 -
EckertRegarding the Marys Peak BPA Communications Site Project, I urge the BPA to follow the Forest Plan and the Marys Peak SBSIA Management Directive in which all new construction condenses or consolidates the communication site. Any new equipment would be placed in the existing Forest Service building or as an addition to the Forest Service building. I would prefer that the BPA use this opportunity to move their equipment off the summit entirely and replace it on City-owned West Point which currently houses Union Pacific and Comcast communication towers and repeaters. I believe the BPA could also negotiate with the City to purchase West Point. If the trees are a communication deterrent they could be cut because that site was previously a meadow anyway. The top 200'of Marys Peak summit is a truly unique plant community and insect community that has been severely disrupted by the communication site and BPA can serve the nation well by leaving the summit. Simply because the summit is the best site for communications doesn't mean that it is a required site. The summit of Marys Peak has served for thousands of years as the spiritual center for the Kalapuya inhabitants. It is currently the iconic geographical feature of the Benton County area. The communication site and the extent of the site disgraces the honor and veneration citizens give to this mountain. While BPA may believe that it has an entitlement to Marys Peak and may not want to spent extra dollars for an alternative solution that would avoid further desecration of this Scenic Botanical Area of Special Interest,I believe the BPA owes an alternative solution to the public and should be smart enough to figure out such an alternative solution.
- MP16 0021 -
/Public Scoping CommentsPlease see the attachment listing public comments received at the Public Scoping Meeting held on November 9, 2016.
View Attachment
- MP16 0022 -
Heiken/Oregon WildOregon Wild represents 17,000 members and supporters who share our mission to protect and restore Oregon's wildlands, wildlife, and waters.
The summit of Mary's Peak is a special place that is visited by thousands of people each year. People visiting the site would generally prefer to experience a more natural setting, rather than the access road, fencing, concrete pad, guy wires, and comm site.
It would be a great step forward for both people and wildlife if this communication site could be moved from the summit to a nearby high point, such as adjacent to road NF-112 where Union Pacific, Consumers Power, and City of Corvallis already have facilities. This would allow restoration of a more natural setting at the summit of Mary's Peak.
If moving the site is not possible, we urge BPA and the US Forest Service to plan and implement this project in a way that avoids and minimizes adverse effects on soil, water, native vegetation/habitat, recreation/scenic values, cultural values, etc.
- MP16 0023 -
McCainAbout BPA's proposed activities at the Marys Peak Communications Project Site: the most significant values for the summit of Marys Peak lie in the non-monetary categories recognized in the establishment of the Marys Peak Scenic Botanic Special Interest Area--among them are conservation and maintenance of the rare meadow and rock garden plant communities, preserving the scenic nature of the Peak, and encouraging the aesthetic, cultural, and spiritual use of the Peak by members of the tribal, local, regional, state, national, and international communities. While the location may make the summit a convenient and efficient communications base, those functions can be placed elsewhere. The summit, its environment, unique plant communities, and vistas can NOT be located elsewhere.
If possible, relocating the BPA facilities out of the Scenic Botanic Special Interest Area would be most suitable. I believe the next most appropriate option was identified in the USFS planning process as co-locating with other users in a single building, reducing the footprint and visual impacts, and allowing more of the original area to return to a more natural and scenic condition. Convenience and (to BPA) minor expense does not over-ride the USFS decision that mandated that minimizing the impact of user-facilities by combining structures. It seems clear that the NEPA that resulted in the decision identifying combining into a single building must be considered as binding.
Since the BPA does occupy facilities on the Peak, it would be appropriate to have BPA support vegetation restoration to as much of the site as possible, and to ameliorate impacts from the access road, fencing, and hardening of the site. BPA could and should engage in collaborative restoration with the USFS on site to reverse the substantial damage to the site that has already taken place and that is continuing to take place as the public is re-routed around the perimeter of the fence, further impacting the meadow. Also, the need for weed control associated with construction and maintenance of the communication site should be supported by BPA as a principal user of the site.
Since the BPA is contributing to the negative visual impacts from the equipment, road access, buildings, and fencing, if the BPA fails to relocate, then the BPA should collaborate with the USFS in providing for improving the experience for visitors to the site that can still take place, in partial compensation for the ugliness and intrusiveness of the facilities on the Peak. Providing support (financial, in kind, etc.) for protecting the fragile vegetation, and interpreting the views and values of the site (signage, etc.) in a style that complements the nature and history of the Peak would at least somewhat balance the negative effect that the BPA equipment has, both in the past, the present, and the future.
As a former Siuslaw ecologist with a long involvement in restoration on Marys Peak, I stress that the values of the Peak outweigh short term costs. As the BPA is also a federal agency that manages with the benefits to the US public as a whole, it seems appropriate that the BPA take seriously the duty to preserve the larger values of Marys Peak Scenic Botanic Area: its long history, its deep cultural meaning to local tribes, and the abiding love of local citizens for the outstanding ecological and aesthetic character of the site.
- MP16 0024 -
WatrousThe top of Marys Peak is a unique and beautiful place, as attested to in the proposal for its establishment as a Scenic Botanical Special Interest Area by the Siuslaw National Forest in 1989. The industrial assemblage of communications structures and fencing on the peak are a visual blight and act as a reservoir of uncontrolled noxious weeds that spread through the fence to the surrounding unique botanical habitats. Given that the BPA facility needs replacement in order to serve contemporary needs, now seems an ideal time to begin migrating this user in particular, and all communications users over time, off the heart of the scenic botanical area and to a more appropriate location elsewhere such as has been suggested by other commenters.
- MP16 0025 -
Reid/Benton County Amateur Radio Emergency ServiceThe Benton County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (BCARES) is a volunteer organization which provides communications services for several activities. We operate a repeater in the USFS building at this site.
This site is unique in Western Oregon, being the highest point in the coastal range. One of the benefits of such a site is that it's communications range is unequaled. Our repeater has been designated to serve as the central node for a 6 county region in emergencies.
One service we support is the local Search and Rescue group which uses this repeater for communications. This benefits other users of the forest.
Certainly any facilities at such a scenic site should be designed to blend into the scenery and share the space with other users, as much as budgets allow. However communications is another important use of the unique features of this site.
The type of radio signals used (VHF) travel over line-of-sight paths. Any obstruction can block them. Thus lower sites are blocked from reaching users who are "behind" higher hills like Marys Peak and other parts of the coastal range.
Don Reid - W7DMR
Oregon ARES/RACES EC for Benton County
- MP16 0026 -
VegaPlease consider alternatives to the communication site located on the top of Mary's Peak. If it will remain in place, please upgrade it without expanding the footprint and with the least impact to the natural area. Please work to minimize the visual impact.
- MP16 0027 -
TapponMarys Peak is a unique public place with irreplaceable natural and scenic assts. It has been designated a Special Botanical Special Interest area as well as having deep cultural and spiritual significance. There are not alternatives to replace the unique assets of Marys Peak. The damage done historically to the site has been extensive and users of the site have not cooperatively participated in sufficient restoration and mitigation efforts. The evaluation criteria for options need to be spelled out. Cost efficiency cannot be the only criteria as the potential consequences, as we have seen historically, are not generally captured in the cost estimates, nor mitigation funded in the project scoping. While I understand the desire to continue its use as a communications site, I believe that the project scoping and description provided by BPA is too narrow. The project scoping appears only take into account BPA considerations, which is a major concern. The management direction calls for consolidating facilities and minimization of impact on the summit. This should be a key objective of the project. Trade-offs between the communication needs and impacts to other values (cultural, ecosystem, recreational, aesthetic, etc.) must be evaluated and balanced. Stakeholders and other landowners should be actively involved in the development of alternatives not just informed after they have been formulated.
BPA cites several issues with the communications site on Mary’s peak; extreme temperatures, high winds and security issues. These are all inherent in the site. It is an exposed summit with harsh climate and is not only remote and unsupervised, but highly visited and has a history of vandalism issues. Mary’s peak may be the easiest location to provide line-of-sight communication, it is by no means the only solution.
The approach described is a point project, focused only on desired upgrades to the BPA facilities at the summit. The need for a communications NETWORK is vital for public safety and communications. Many areas that do not have a feature like Marys Peak have successful communication networks. I would suggest that, rather than taking a point project approach, focusing only on the top of Marys Peak, BPA take a strategic or network approach. There may be other solutions or alternate siting options that could be considered. For example, what other solutions are there besides the summit of Mars Peak? Who are the other communication entities and what facilities do they use (for example West Point and Vineyard Mountain)? Who are potential partners? What access, environment and security benefits can be derived from co-locating? What other BPA sites are being upgraded and are there synergies or opportunities that would help minimize or eliminate the impact on the summit? Can improvements of the BPA communications equipment, etc. be done in a synergistic way that benefits multiple partners?
Anything the BPA does will impact others, so including them and the potential consequences is essential. BPA should contribute to mitigating the negative impacts of their activities and preserving the public and ecological values at the summit. The consequences of future activities and remedies for past and future impacts should be included in the plans.
- MP16 0028 -
Rentz/Rush Hour PhotoMy comment would be to consider first the importance of the telecommunication needs of that location, which I would imagine are extremely vital to the safety of the citizens of Oregon and not be intimidated. Sure, if the equipment can be housed in a more ‘attractive manner’, do it but don’t feel like the entire community is against the important need of that location for your communication needs.
Second, I’m a birder and wildlife photographer, so not some ‘red neck’ making these comments. I host the ‘Friends of Finley Wildlife Refuge’ Facebook page along with two others for birders and nature lovers to share their photos and stories. I’ve been up to the peak photographing birds and wildlife far more than once so I’m not talking blindly about the subject either.
In summary, I’d like to suggest the decision come down to what the ‘experts’ consider would be the best situation and considering budgets are tight these days not feel compelled to do something that could be very expensive.
- MP16 0030 -
WatrousMarys Peak is the highest mountain in the Oregon coast range. It offers spectacular views of the Cascades, Willamette Valley and the coast. It has unique botanical values including grassy bald meadows and a pure Noble Fir forest. The communications structures and fencing on the peak are a visual blight and seed uncontrolled noxious weeds through the fence to the surrounding unique botanical habitats. Now is the perfect time to begin migrating the BPA user in particular, and all communications users over time, off the pinnacle of the scenic botanical area and to a less conspicuous location elsewhere such as has been suggested by others.
- MP16 0031 -
RubyIt is unlikely that BPA would prefer the expensive and more unreliable complexity of multiple lower elevation communication sites necessary to match the VHF/UHF coverage provided by the summit of Mary's Peak. For this same advantage, other federal, state and county agencies providing fire, law enforcement, and emergency management communications have chosen to locate at the summit of Mary's Peak.
In order to protect the unique ecosystem provided by the upper reaches of Mary's Peak, it would help if the current fenced communications footprint could be reduced in size. This could be accomplished if the BPA were to accept the option of a single duplex style building to house all of the current and future communications equipment located on Mary's Peak. BPA's side of the duplex could have its own entrance and be separated from the other side by an internal wall constructed to meet BPA's safety, reliability and security concerns.
If the BPA is unable to accept such a consolidated solution, then perhaps the BPA should be the one to consider the more complex option of multiple facilities at lower elevation sites. The other federal, state and county entities are not in the position to afford such a costly and unreliable alternative.
- MP16 0032 -
FosterPlease view attachment.
View Attachment
- MP16 0033 -
McEvoy/Corvallis Chapter of the Native Plant Society of OregonPlease view attachment.
View Attachment
- MP16 0034 -
Vander HeidePlease view attachment.
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