Fire Island Wind-Energy Project Wraps Up Work at Local Dog Park

Connor's Bog Dog Park will be free from workers by the end of February

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By Lauren Maxwell
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Story Created: Feb 10, 2012 at 6:19 PM AKDT

Story Updated: Feb 10, 2012 at 7:41 PM AKDT

Work on the Fire Island Wind Project may have slowed down for winter, but that’s only on the island.

On the mainland, crews are busy laying electrical transmission lines and most of the work is being done at a local dog park.

Connor's Bog Dog Park, off Jewel Lake road, is well loved and well used. So when signs started popping up last fall that the Fire Island Wind Project was coming through, it had some people concerned.

“It was self-explanatory, “ said a regular dog walker. “They were going to make a big mess.“

Work has been progressing steadily through the winter, and "mess" may be in the eye of the beholder. In the past two weeks, heavy steel pilings were pounded into the ground.

This week crews began erecting 28 electrical poles.

The poles will run along a one-mile swath through the woods adjacent to the dog trails. They are the only part of the 13-mile transmission system that is above ground.

“Connor's Bog is a wetlands area,” said CIRI project engineer Pete Stewart. “The Corps of Engineers required that we keep the lines above-ground so that we wouldn’t damage the fragile environment.”

They were also required to cut down trees for a 50-foot easement around the lines. Stewart said that was to make it easier for maintenance and safety.

“It’s to stop trees contacting the conductors, so if trees fall over, the contact conductor knocks out the line and the project goes down.”

The good news for dog walkers and others who enjoy the park is that the work is wrapping up soon. The next two weeks will see a flurry of activity, but after that crews are promising the park will look pretty much the same. The work at Connor's Bog should be completed by the end of February.

 

 

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