Wind farm proposal in Buzzards Bay

Perhaps you'd heard about the offshore Cape Wind proposal in Massachusett's Nantucket Sound? It apparently has been blown off the table, and Jay Cashman Inc. now proposes a wind farm in Buzzards Bay (the body of water between Dartmouth and Oak Bluffs on the linked map).

The South Coast Offshore Wind Project would encompass 90 to 120 wind turbines three to four miles from the shore and would provide electricity for about 240,000 homes.

But approval of the Buzzards Bay project is no sure bet.

Buzzards Bay is also a playground for beachgoers and recreational boaters, and some residents fear the turbines will stifle tourism, damage the ecosystem in a region know for rare bird species and deflate waterfront property values.

Being unfamiliar with birding in Massachusetts, I wonder about the "region known for rare birds species" claim. How valid is it?

While Massachusetts Audubon Society offers many details about the Cape Wind project, I couldn't find anything yet about the Buzzards Bay proposal.

For other details, visit Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program,