Topeka ? Gov. Kathleen Sebelius on Monday urged restraint on development of wind energy within a so-called “Heart of the Flint Hills Area,” but she also said developers should go full speed ahead outside that area.

“Developers pursuing projects outside of the designated area who have been waiting for a signal from the administration now have it and should proceed accordingly so they can benefit from federal tax credits,” Lee Allison, Sebelius’ energy advisor, said.

Potential development of wind energy in the Flint Hills has been controversial because many landowners say construction of the huge wind turbine towers will disrupt the rolling landscape which is home to the vanishing Tallgrass Prairie.

Sebelius appointed a Cabinet team to try to balance conservation efforts with development.

The team has recommended establishing a “Heart of the Flint Hills Area” where wind development would be restrained until local officials could put in place guidelines and the state could assess economic strategies for the region.

That area would be bounded by US Highway 24 on the north, K-77 on the west, US 400 on the south and K-99 and K-4 on the east.

Sebelius said the team’s recommendations “provides us with a workable strategy for continuing to protect the tallgrass prairie in the Flint Hills and assisting affected landowners while also encouraging the rapid development of wind energy in appropriate areas of the state.”