Saving The Planet? State Officials Criticized For Plan To Destroy 400+ Acres Of Forest To Build Solar Farm

Michigan state officials face criticism for a plan to clear over 400 acres of state forestland to construct a solar farm near Gaylord.

A top state official confirmed to MLive that the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has a lease agreement to build the solar farm.

“Officials with the DNR recently assessed 1,200 acres of public trust land in Otsego County near a major power transmission line to decide whether it was suitable for solar arrays,” MLive reports.

“Agency leaders ultimately decided to lease 35% of that land to accompany other adjacent solar projects already in the works,” it added.

INSANITY: Michigan is clearing over 400 acres of a forest to create rows of Chinese-made solar panels that just occasionally generate electricity.

And it’s not even going to help the environment. A recent study found “the loss of carbon-dioxide gobbling forests for solar… pic.twitter.com/UXhQTUoR8v

— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) January 3, 2025

MLive reports:

This comes as the DNR faces dwindling revenues from hunting and fishing licenses, and Michigan falls behind building enough renewable energy fast enough to risk not meeting a key state climate goal – 100% clean energy by 2040.

Leasing 4,000 acres of public land statewide is part of the DNR’s plan to help remedy both problems in coming years. Officials said that state solar initiative may begin just west of Gaylord.

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A public notice advertising competitive bidding for solar proposals on 420 acres of state land in Otsego County’s Hayes Township is expected to be published in coming days in both the Gaylord newspaper and on the DNR website, confirmed Scott Whitcomb, DNR director of public lands office.

My heart absolutely breaks over this.

Michigan will cut down 400 acres of beautiful forest for solar farm.

The DNR says this is to make up for decreasing revenue from hunting and fishing licenses and to work toward the 100% clean energy goal.

Notice something? Notice how the… pic.twitter.com/i4pqALaEoS

— Anna Matson (@AnnaRMatson) January 3, 2025

“State Reps. Ken Borton and Mike Hoadley and State Sen. Michele Hoitenga on Thursday called for mass firings within the Department of Natural Resources after recent reporting exposed a DNR plot to destroy more than 400 acres of forest, located just west of Gaylord, to clear the way for solar farms,” Michigan House Republicans stated in a release.

“The legislators said that any person involved in this decision should be fired, arguing that this proposal was made in complete contrast to the DNR’s responsibility to protect Michigan’s wildlife and forests,” it added.

“Mind-numbing decisions like this are absolute proof that the DNR is completely rotten to its core,” Borton said.

“This deforestation will destroy habitats and effectively kill wildlife. Let me make that clear, the DNR is choosing to kill wildlife so they can build solar panels,” he added.

Just how retarded is @MichiganDNR? They are going to cut down 400+ acres of pristine forest to build a solar farm. Knowing full well that people DO NOT support it AND that cutting down trees for solar farms causes a NET INCREASE in CO2 emissions! 1/5 https://t.co/niq1UPJ2Gw

— Donnie Detroit (@DonnieDetroit19) January 2, 2025

From The Daily Wire:

The sudden desire to destroy trees for solar panels comes as the state risks failing to meet its own climate goal of 100% “clean” energy by 2040. If it doesn’t increase its development of so-called renewable energy, it won’t meet its arbitrary timeframe.

The 420 acres about to be bulldozed are part of 4,000 acres of public land that will be flattened to try and meet the 2040 deadline.

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If Michigan instead committed to nuclear power, it could meet its goal much quicker and by using much less land. Chris Martz, a meteorology student who regularly tackles climate change and energy myths, published a chart showing nuclear power produces far more power on less land than solar and wind. For example, 640 acres (about one square mile) for a nuclear power plant would produce 1,000 megawatts of power and can power just over 775,000 homes. Getting the same power from solar panels would require 5,000-7,000 acres of land and only power 193,523 homes. Onshore wind power is even less efficient.

Dr. Judith Curry, one of the most prominent atmospheric scientists who debunks climate myths, responded to Martz’s chart by saying, “Land use requirements (among other thing [sic]) will seriously constrain the penetration of wind and solar into the grid, and this analysis doesn’t include the additional land requirements for transmission lines.”

This is a Guest Post from our friends over at 100 Percent Fed Up.

View the original article here.