I am an off-grid, part-time resident of the Wrye Ranch area on the mesa south of Starvation Peak in San Miguel County, and I am an advocate of alternative energy. However, I was recently concerned about the plans described for the La Sierrita Wind project in the "Residents wary of the Mesa wind farm deal" article that ran in The New Mexican on Nov. 13. It made it sound as though the only residents that would be impacted by the project were "at the base of the mesa or due north."

There are at least 92 residents on the mesa according to the Villanueva and La Ribera post office delivery routes. I know that there are some properties that border the west side of the old Villanueva Road that cuts across the top of the mesa. This would put them less than a mile from the wind farm.

Interestingly enough, there was an article in USA Today on election day, Nov. 4, "Neighbors at odds over noise from wind turbines," that cites at least five locations of wind farms where people have reported symptoms of headaches, nausea, and insomnia from the noise. The major solution was felt to be property setbacks, and as yet, there is no industry standard. The article proposed 1- to 1.5-mile setbacks of turbines from homes, according to a few engineering sources.

I am not against erecting wind turbines. I know we need the energy. But it must be done in a thoughtful manner, considering all of the issues — health, primarily; and also historical, wildlife, and land impact — so that we may co-exist successfully with the farms. This could happen anywhere in the United States where there is a large air-mass over an area, not just the mesa south of Starvation Peak. The question is, how will we feel about it when it affects us?

Jan Rosenquist, M.D., divides her time between her home in Villanueva and her home in Sun Valley, Idaho.