After many many many years it would seem that this is the make or break year for cape wind.

In a week that has seen ups and downs for the project (seems the sound can be considered a natural history site…) the federal government stepping in and saying “ok after 9 years this shit has to be decided” is fantastic. I feel that nothing would honor the native culture more than the preservation of the earth from global warming and the perils of a climate gone crazy.

The Obama administration is stepping into the debate over the stalled Cape Wind project in an effort to resolve the impasse over what has long been a back-and-forth issue in Massachusetts.

Word from the federal government came after the proposed Nantucket Sound wind farm suffered an apparent setback on Monday when the National Park Service ruled that the sound can be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Such listing gives the water area extra protection from development.

Following the decision by the Park Service, U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said he would summon the key parties to a meeting next week aimed at coming up with “a common-sense agreement” on Cape Wind by March.

“After several years of review, it is now time to move the Cape Wind proposal to a final decision point,” Salazar said in a statement.(via)

His statement is below:

Secretary Salazar Initiates Final Review of Cape Wind Proposal

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today issued the following statement in response to the determination by the National Park Service’s Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places that Nantucket Sound is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. The finding of eligibility ensures that significant archeological, historic and cultural values are considered in the review of the permit for the proposed Cape Wind project by the Minerals Management Service (MMS).

“America’s vast offshore wind resources offer exciting potential for our clean energy economy and for our nation’s efforts to reduce our dependence on foreign oil,” said Secretary Salazar. “But as we begin to develop these resources, we must ensure that we are doing so in the right way and in the right places.

“The Keeper’s finding that Nantucket Sound is eligible for listing in the National Register provides information that will help us to undertake final consultations and analysis of potential impacts of wind development on historic and cultural resources in Nantucket Sound.

“After several years of review, it is now time to move the Cape Wind proposal to a final decision point. That is why I am gathering the principal parties together next week to consider the findings of the Keeper and to discuss how we might find a common-sense agreement on actions that could be taken to minimize and mitigate Cape Wind’s potential impacts on historic and cultural resources. I am hopeful that an agreement among the parties can be reached by March 1. If an agreement among the parties can’t be reached, I will be prepared to take the steps necessary to bring the permit process to conclusion. The public, the parties, and the permit applicants deserve certainty and resolution.”