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Dear Editor;
Recently the Driftless Area Land Conservancy and the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation won a huge victory in their fight against the Cardinal Hickory Creek high voltage line proposed to run from Middleton, WI to Dubuque, IA through the Upper Mississippi Wildlife Refuge. The federal judge determined that such a project was not compatible with the purpose of a wildlife refuge. He scheduled remedy briefs to be turned in by January 31. It is hoped that he will have a final judgement by the end of February.
So what now? We need to keep up the pressure against this line and any further construction. Earlier, the judge had granted an injunction against construction in wetlands along the proposed route. The energy company took that as an opportunity to begin clearing and construction in non wetland areas. The strategy appears to be if we build on both sides of the Mississippi then the judge will have no choice but to allow the river crossing. Even if that never is the case, the energy company is under no obligation to clean up their mess or take down the towers. And by federal law, any monies spent by them (even if the project is never finished) can be passed on to the ratepayers. We, the ratepayers, are stuck between a rock and a hard place.
How can you help? Contact your local elected officials. Right now Ridgeway is considering ceding land to ATC. Also, make sure that Marklein, Tranel, Johnson, Baldwin and anyone else you can think of knows this is not okay with the residents of the Driftless. Please, keep up the pressure and make your voices heard, loud and shrill like a clarion!

John Spaulding
Mineral Point, WI