Alternative Energy Draft EA - NASA Visitor Center at Wallops Flight ...

Environmental Consequences
Photograph 6: Viewshed from a vantage point located approximately 3.7 kilometers (2.3 miles)
southwest of the bridge that links Wallops Mainland to Wallops Island looking northeast toward
the bridge.
The simulated wind turbines in photographs 1, 2, and 3 of Appendix F are barely visible;
therefore, the wind turbines would not result in a substantial change to the viewshed from
recreational areas along Chincoteague Island, Assateague Island, and Watts Bay Subdivision,
respectively. As shown by the simulation of photographs 4 and 5 in Appendix F, the wind
turbines would be visible from the closest residential community, Mount Wharton subdivision,
and from Arbuckle Neck Road (see Photograph 6 above).
As shown in all the simulated photographs, the landscape surrounding the proposed turbine site
already contains radio towers, the U.S. Navy V-10/V-20 Complex, and the bridge that links
Wallops Mainland with Wallops Island. The turbines would be painted white so that they would
blend well with the sky to reduce visual impacts. Because of the height of the turbines
(approximately 120 meters [395 feet] at the top of the blade), it is not possible to site them in a
location or manner completely invisible to the public and WFF workers and visitors.
Aesthetics is highly subjective and dependent on people’s perceptions of whether the wind
turbines are a negative or positive impact on the landscape. NASA would provide educational
information via newsletters and public announcements (including the availability of this Draft
EA) to the surrounding communities regarding the benefits of the wind turbines. In addition, the
wind turbines could potentially become a popular public attraction, which is what happened at
the ACUA wind farm. Although the ACUA wind farm is at an industrial facility and therefore
not open to the public, ACUA established a public viewing area and a frequently visited Web
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