The co-chair of the Appalachian Trail, which is the major proponent of the Aspiring Global Geopark for the Port au Port and Lewis Hills area, is disappointed with plans to develop wind farms in the area.

Paul Wylezol says they’re nearly a decade into their efforts to get the UNESCO designation to highlight the local geology and ecology on a global scale.

He fears the erection of hundreds of wind turbines will have a detrimental effect on their plans.

Site B identified by World Energy in the Lewis Hills and Blowmidon Mountains is the core of the Aspiring Geopark.

He calls the local ecology, which is unique to the area, one of the “jewels in the crown of Newfoundland.”

Wylezol says their issue is not with a wind energy project, but with the location.

“Our position is,” says Wylezol “with 108,000 square km on the island alone, there are better places to locate it.”