TRAIL CLUB PROTESTS POWER LINE

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, January 7, 1992                   TAG: 9201070196
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: GEORGE KEGLEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
TRAIL CLUB PROTESTS POWER LINE
The Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club said it is preparing a full-scale fight to either stop construction or minimize the damage of Appalachian Power Co.'s planned high-voltage power line from West Virginia.
As planned, the line would cross the trail in Roanoke and Craig counties. It would have "a very heavy impact" on both the trail and the environment, said Dr. William Gordge, a longtime leader of the club.
Gordge's preference is "to try to stop it if we can." The proposed 765,000-volt line will have "an unacceptably high impact" on such popular trail vistas as Dragons Tooth in western Roanoke County and the Niday Shelter on Sinking Creek Mountain in Craig County, he said.
Charles Williams, attorney for the trail club, has filed as a protestant, one of a dozen in the case, with the State Corporation Commission.
Williams said he has explained to Apco officials that the club's concern is that the power line "is impacting the trail too often and too much." Apco officials "were receptive to our position," he added.
Trail hikers have complained that the plans they've seen would take the line parallel to the trail for as much as three-quarters of a mile in some instances.
"At least, we would come up with a few clean crossings. If it has to cross the trail, let's do it and get it over with," Williams said.
Gordge said he doubted the study's authors walked the trail.
Gordge worries about the possibility of service roads to the power line opening up unwanted access to recreational vehicles on the trail.
He was skeptical of the university researchers' proposal to mitigate the damage by painting the towers.
Gordge said the club's biggest objection is the "very high impact" of the line. The preferred route appears to place one tower in the middle of the trail and another on top of Sinking Creek Mountain, Gordge said.
The line will be "very obvious" from Dragons Tooth, he said. Gordge said he is concerned about the high visibility of the line along "a beautifully protected" stretch of the trail near the Niday Shelter in Craig County. He also fears the impact of the line on Cabin Branch, the water supply for the shelter.
Among other groups filing as protestants in the SCC case include organizations from Roanoke, Craig and Giles counties, the Blue Ridge Soaring Society at New Castle, Roanoke County and its Resource Authority and the Humble Harvest Hunt Club of Roanoke County.

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB