Published 8:49 am Wednesday, October 14, 2026
By beauregarddailynews
By Ashlyn Little
It was standing-room only at the Vernon Parish Police Jury’s regular session meeting as residents packed the room to debate a proposed solar farm ordinance.
The jury ultimately tabled the vote to amend Ordinance No. 9, pushing the decision to a later date so they can further refine regulations — particularly regarding buffer zones between solar panels and neighboring properties.
The proposed amendment seeks to tighten rules for constructing and operating solar farms in unincorporated areas of Vernon Parish. Under current rules, Ordinance No. 9 requires a setback of 150 feet from any residence, 50 feet from the front line of adjacent properties, and 25 feet from rear or side lines.
“We put this back on the agenda because we heard from our citizens that we needed their input,” said Police Jury President James Tuck (District 1). “When we looked at our ordinance, we knew it needed to be more restrictive, especially on the buffer zone.”
The police jury previously voted on Aug. 10 to place a temporary moratorium on solar farm development until the stricter guidelines are finalized.
The tension stems from a project proposed by Treaty Oak Clean Energy. Dubbed “Sunstripe Solar,” the utility-scale project would span 7,000 acres — 4,000 in Vernon Parish and 3,000 in neighboring Rapides Parish — located roughly 20 miles east of Fort Polk.
Nick Jasman, a developer for Treaty Oak, clarified that solar panels would not cover the entire 7,000 acres. “The balance of the project area consists of buffers, setbacks, environmental avoidance areas, and other undeveloped portions,” Jasman said, noting that final acreage numbers are still being designed.
Jasman estimated the project would generate upwards of $30 million in sales and property taxes for Vernon Parish over its lifetime. District 3 Police Juror David Fox highlighted those financial benefits, noting the revenue would fund parish roads and the Vernon Parish School District.
“We as jurors have to make a decision based on how it’s going to affect our people, and that’s the first priority,” Fox said. “But we have to look at all sides, taking care of their concerns while looking at the tax revenue it would generate.”
Several local residents spoke out against the project, raising alarms about the environment, safety and infrastructure.
Nancy Whitlock, a multigenerational Vernon farmer, presented a PowerPoint presentation detailing how local hilly terrain and soil differ fundamentally from south Louisiana. She questioned what soil testing had been done to prevent severe erosion. Whitlock also raised concerns about construction noise and heavy equipment damaging parish roads. Jasman replied that pile-driving steel into the ground would last only a couple of months and that Treaty Oak would work with the police jury and the DOTD on strict road agreements. He added that power converters would be designed away from property lines to mitigate long-term noise.
Resident James Afeman voiced fears regarding fire safety during droughts, noting the closest volunteer fire department is in Pitkin, 12 miles away. “That buffer line would be our line of defense,” Afeman said, pushing for the largest buffer zone possible.
Resident Julie Richmond Sauer argued the jury should demand at least a one-mile buffer zone with waivers. Resident Anja West added, “(Treaty Oak) is basically a private entity inserting themselves in business that should not be theirs.”
Nich Gehrig, a resident of neighboring Beauregard Parish who lives four miles from the Singer Solar farm, warns jurors that initial promises do not always match reality.
Gehrig testified that contracted workers speed down local roads, causing severe dust and traffic hazards that forced his wife to stop letting their children ride the school bus. More critically, Gehrig — who is in the cattle business — stated he lost six cows in a single week to respiratory failure caused by heavy construction dust.
“Whenever their lungs fill up with dust, there is no drug to fix it,” Gehrig said, noting that proving the dust caused the deaths is nearly impossible, leaving him to absorb the financial loss. He also reported trespassing and property theft by contracted laborers.
In response to the backlash, Jasman emphasized that Treaty Oak prides itself on transparency and long-term collaboration. “Because we expect to be part of the community for decades, we take seriously our responsibility to be a good neighbor,” Jasman said. Treaty Oak is currently building two other Louisiana projects: Beekman Solar in Morehouse Parish and Hollis Creek Solar in Sabine Parish, both slated for completion in early 2027.
The Vernon Parish Police Jury will resume discussions at its next meeting at 10 a.m. Monday, Oct. 19.

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