U.S. Interior Secretary was given an invitation earlier this month when he met with the Wampanoag tribes in Washington about the proposed Nantucket Sound wind farm: Come visit us, they said. Learn about us.
He's accepted. Cape Cod Today broke the story yesterday and Salazar's office confirmed to the Globe today. On Tuesday, Salazar will meet with members of the Wampanoag tribes of Mashpee and Aquinnah in a private meeting to discuss the Cape Wind project. Then, he will take a boat tour of the proposed wind farm site.
The tribes, you may recall, received a boost to their claim that Nantucket Sound is sacred when the National Park Service ruled recently it was eligible to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Salazar immediately got serious. He summoned all parties involved in the proposed 130-turbine project to Washington and said he wanted a compromise reached by March 1. The Wampanoag dispute is the last large hurdle before Salazar can make a final decision on the project, now in its ninth year of permitting.
If a compromise is not reached, Salazar has the legal authority to terminate the consultation process. If he does, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, a federal agency that has been involved in the issue, will probably hold a public hearing before submitting comments to him within 45 days. Salazar then can make a final decision, in April
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