Save the Finger Lakes Viewshed

Local GroupAggrieved NeighborMedium activity

Viewshed and farmland group across four counties

Penn Yan, NYFirst tracked July 21, 2020

Conservation language, siting outcome. Recycles Institute for Rural Energy Studies soil papers into identical op-eds placed in three Finger Lakes weeklies within the same week.

Genuine NIMBYsCo-opted environmentalists

Recommended engagement strategy

Engage directly and early. Offer vegetative screening, setback adjustments, and a named site contact.

Aggrieved Neighbor profile: Often genuinely affected. Negotiable through screening, siting changes, and direct contact.

Open counter-measure playbook

Hearing appearances

Logged in minutes

Counties active

Yates, Ontario

Projects opposed

Solar & storage dockets

Funding received

$76K

3 traced inbound edges

Funding given

$6.5K

1 traced outbound edges

Arguments logged

Top: Property Value Claims

Where They OperateCounties with a tracked filing, appearance, or monitored channel, and the specific project dockets involved.Counties with a tracked filing, appearance, or monitored channel, and the specific project dockets involved.

Counties

Yates7 ev.
Ontario6 ev.
Seneca7 ev.
Schuyler2 ev.

Project dockets

Benton SolarYates Co.NO DOSSIER
Canandaigua StorageOntario Co.NO DOSSIER
Ovid SolarSeneca Co.NO DOSSIER

View on county map

What They ArgueArgument classification from filings, testimony transcripts, and monitored posts. Counts are statements, not documents.Argument classification from filings, testimony transcripts, and monitored posts. Counts are statements, not documents.

Property Value Claims23 · 32.4%
Visual / Aesthetic17 · 23.9%
Environmental Impact14 · 19.7%
Health & Safety Fears11 · 15.5%
Fire / Battery Safety6 · 8.5%

Most-repeated claim

“Homes within two miles lose 30% of their value.”

Who Funds ThemTraced grants, dues, contractor payments, and campaign contributions. Amounts come from 990 filings, grant letters, and NYS BOE data.Traced grants, dues, contractor payments, and campaign contributions. Amounts come from 990 filings, grant letters, and NYS BOE data.

Inbound

Outbound

Regional weekly ad placements (3 papers)$6.5K
2025 · Media expense

Open in funding network

Activity Log7 entriesChronological record assembled from hearing minutes, local law filings, 990 disclosures, and monitored channels.Chronological record assembled from hearing minutes, local law filings, 990 disclosures, and monitored channels.

Mobilization detectedMay 28, 2025Turnout post shared 430 times across Yates and Ontario County groups.
Narrative amplifiedMay 21, 2025Property-value claim recirculated to an audience of 58K with a fabricated citation.
Op-ed placedMay 9, 2025Near-identical op-ed ran in two Yates County weeklies within four days.
Channel monitoredApr 24, 2025Linked Yates County group added to the monitor; 1990 members in its first month.
Coalition letter co-signedApr 2, 2025Co-signed a letter to the Ontario County legislature opposing ORES preemption under Article VIII.
Board minutes matchedMar 18, 2025Language in Benton board minutes matched a submission filed on Benton Solar.
First tracked activityJul 21, 2020Entered the monitor via a Yates County record referencing Canandaigua Storage.

Aliases & AffiliationsAlternate names seen in filings and the organizations this actor is formally or functionally tied to.Alternate names seen in filings and the organizations this actor is formally or functionally tied to.

Known aliases and filing names

SFLV
Finger Lakes Viewshed Coalition

Affiliations

Institute for Rural Energy Studies
Citizens for Responsible Energy
Lucille Trask

Network position

Classified as a local group in the three-tier model, with 4 traced funding edges.