HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. — A Nashville-based company is looking to bring more solar energy to Houston County. Silicon Ranch brought the Houston Solar Project and Lambing Barn to Elko.
Now, they want to bring a 4,700-acre solar farm project to Kathleen.
However, not everyone is very excited about the plans.
Being outside is in John Trussell's nature.
"My mom said go outside and play and she meant it, so I spent my youth in the outdoors hunting and fishing," he said.
When Oaky Woods Wildlife Management Area opened back in the 1960s, he made it his second home.
"It became part of who I am and it's just a great place to come enjoy the nature," he shared.
Now he says there is so much to come love.
"You can actually camp here for free, if you have a hunting or fishing license, which costs like $15," he said.
He's thankful for the this gem that sits in Houston County, which he says was almost taken away around 2007-2010.
"We started the group, Save Oaky Woods, and we worked with government and local officials to have this saved by the state," Trussell said.
Since then his efforts haven't stopped. He says he and others, like Area Manger Josh Holmes, do their best to support the grounds. Back in 2011, Trussell wrote a book, Saving Oaky Woods. Most recently he and a team worked to renovate the fire tower. He says it took five years and they fixed the tower through donations.
"It's now part of the historic fire tower registry that you can see online," he shared.
Now, he says a team is even working to get a bathroom space added to the campgrounds. He says they plan to take that proposal to commission soon.
The work to save and preserve doesn't end there, as Silicon Ranch now hopes to build its new solar tower right along the park.
"It's a very noncompatible use of adjacent property, and I think people should be strongly opposed to it," he said.
He is not against the project.
"I love electricity. I love it when I turn on the switch and the light comes on in the summertime. The air conditioning," he said.
Trussell says he is against it being so close to Oaky Woods. He worries it will be harmful to the wildlife nearby.
"Back in the 80's we only estimated having about 65 bears here. We now have around 300 bears," he shared.
He says the animals need space to live and find food freely. He says taking away some of their habitat will take away their ability to find food and protect themselves.
"They're spatially stuck here and along the river, and we need to make sure all of this land is preserved," Trussell shared.
Ben Oberman, strategic partnerships and customer solutions at Silicon Ranch, says they are still in the early planning process. He says they submitted a project proposal to the County Planning and Zoning Board.
Trussell says it should be on the June 24 agenda at 5:30 p.m. We did not get a second confirmation of this date.
Oberman also shared this statement:
"We are proud of the important work we are already doing in Houston County with our Houston Solar Project along I-75 near Elko, including the Lambing Barn we recently unveiled to the public, and we’ve been proud to welcome student groups and the Georgia Young Farmers Association to tour and learn more about our project. We’ve also invested in our billboard to educate the public and passing motorists about the project and its benefits, as well as to celebrate important news in Houston County. Throughout our history here in Houston County, we have made it a top priority to do what we’ve always done at Silicon Ranch: listen to our partners and community stakeholders, learn from what they share, and put that knowledge to work as we strive to improve in our roles as renewable energy producers, community members, and land stewards. Though it is early in the planning process for our new project, it will represent another meaningful capital investment in the county and is projected to generate millions of dollars more in tax revenues to help support local schools, infrastructure, and other community-identified priorities."