Aug. 11—Two decommissioned Duke Energy transmission towers have been converted into bird nesting platforms at the Wabashiki Fish and Wildlife area in West Terre Haute.

On Wednesday, a helicopter crew out of Canada and linemen from Tennessee removed the tops of two transmission towers and installed the platforms for future use by osprey, and potentially eagles, for nesting.

The Ascent helicopter placed two workers atop each tower to complete the work.

The platforms are 8 feet wide and 6 feet long and constructed with fiberglass grating and steel supports — strong and large enough to accommodate large nests.

The initiative is part of a larger Duke Energy project that involves removing deactivated lines as well as five transmission towers in the Wabashiki wetlands area. Two of seven towers will remain in place for the nesting platforms.

Among those watching the aerial effort was Adam Grossman, superintendent of the Vigo County Parks Department. "This is really exciting for us here. We've been talking about this for years now, getting the lines out and the towers knocked down" and improving wildlife habitat.

One of the towers already removed is at Dewey Point, where four concrete piers remain. The parks department hopes to eventually build an overlook and observation deck there, Grossman said. "We'll be working to identify funding sources ... It's still conceptual at this point."

Improvements in recent years, including the pedestrian walkway, have greatly increased the number of visitors to Wabashiki, he said. "It's a really great birding hub that I think more and more people will come to enjoy."

Rick Burger, Duke Energy district manager, said last week that removal of the deactivated lines and towers "is the right thing to do environmentally. It just cleans it up." Also, "you don't want to leave something out there that could become a liability," he said.

Bill Bedwell, Duke Energy senior construction manager, said that by using a helicopter for the overall project, "We can do all this without making any environmental imprint."

Ascent Helicopters of Canada specializes in this kind of project, Bedwell said. The linemen who worked atop the towers were with Service Electric Company based in Tennessee.

The overall project cost is between $1.9 million and $2 million.

Use of the helicopter created up to $1 million in savings, Bedwell said. Otherwise, Duke would have had to cut down many trees, lay down matting and use specialty machines; restoration work also would have been required.

The overall cost includes the entire transmission tower and line removal effort, said McKenzie Barbknecht, Duke Energy spokeswoman. The transmission towers and lines had reached the end of their useful service life and were no longer in use.

Once decommissioned, it can become a safety issue, she said. While it was a project undertaken for safety purposes, it also provided an opportunity to partner with the Vigo County Parks Department to repurpose two of the towers "in a creative and sustainable way" and provide a nesting habitat, she said.

"We are thrilled to partner with the Vigo County Parks Department," Barbknecht said.

Also on site Wednesday was Brendan Kearns, Vigo County commissioner, who took photos and video. "It's been amazing to see the progress of this area," he said. "I'm very excited that the power lines are down because for nature photography and viewing, the power lines are always a distraction."

The nesting platforms will hopefully encourage osprey to build nests there, Kearns said. Eagles, which he frequently photographs, like to build in trees. "Osprey are more apt to build on a tower."

Eagles are often seen in the wetlands area. "About this time last year, we counted over 100 eagles at Dewey Point," Kearns said. "This will help us improve the habitat out here and make it more attractive for wildlife."

Dan Bradley, Riverscape trails committee chair, said Riverscape "has been encouraging Duke to do this for a long time. We're really excited about the improvement in the viewscape and the habitat improvement that comes with this ... It's a real win for Wabashiki."

Sue Loughlin can be reached at 812-231-4235 or at sue.loughlin@tribstar.com Follow Sue on Twitter @TribStarSue.

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