Topeka ? Developing wind energy and protecting the tallgrass prairie may seem like conflicting ideas to some, but a task force tackling those subjects meets today before taking its proposal on the road for public forums.

The Wind and Prairie Task Force, appointed by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, will meet at 10 a.m. at the Kansas Corporation Commission to discuss a range of proposals.

“We are close to resolving a number of charges that the governor gave to us,” said Jerry Karr of Emporia, co-chair of the task force and a former state senator.

One of the most challenging issues before the task force is the question of developing wind energy in the Flint Hills, which run north-south through the middle of the eastern half of Kansas.

The high winds that whip through the Flint Hills make the area one of the best in the country to locate giant wind turbines to harness wind energy.

But some residents and environmentalists oppose the turbines, saying the towers will mar the view of the hills and tear up the prairie.

Karr said there were many ways to address the issue, from making the Flint Hills off-limits to wind power development to recognizing that individual property owners can do what they want on their land.

He said the task force would attempt to provide some options and present those during public forums April 28 in Manhattan and April 29 in El Dorado.

The Legislature has also jumped into the fray. An attempt to declare a moratorium on wind turbines in the Flint Hills failed during the first part of the legislative session but is likely to come up again during the wrap-up session that starts April 28.

Karr said the task force would remain focused on its work regardless of what the Legislature does. The task force is scheduled to give recommendations to Sebelius by May 31.

The high winds that whip through Kansas' Flint Hills make it an ideal location for turbines to collect wind energy, but the tallgrass prairies are also an ecological resource. Gov. Kathleen Sebelius has formed a task force to study the issue. See Monday's Journal-World for a look at life in the Flint Hills.