To the editor:

At the recent public hearing held by the Columbiana County Commissioners regarding a ban on construction of large solar facilities and large wind farms in the unincorporated parts of seven townships in the county, Commissioner Weigle brought up my longtime support of the work of Western Reserve Land Conservancy.

He stated that 898 acres of land in the county is controlled by the Conservancy and that solar panels cannot be placed on that land. That statement is very true. Most of those parcels of land have a conservation easement on them, and for good reason. They are in place to protect Little Beaver Creek, which is a state-designated Wild and Scenic River and a federally-designated Scenic River.

Commissioner Weigle misses a very important point in comparing the restrictions on those lands to the request for a ban on large solar and wind facilities — the conservation easements are a VOLUNTARY agreement between a private landowner and Western Reserve Land Conservancy!

At the public hearing Commissioner Weigle commented that “What we’re dong here isn’t restrictive.” To my way of thinking, when a board of county commissioners passes a resolution enacting a ban on private property owners, taking away private property owner rights, then that is very restrictive! A taking of private property owner rights is zoning, and according to state law zoning can only be enacted upon approval of the voters!

Tom Butch,

Salem