Aug. 23--COLTON -- An environmental nonprofit is weighing in early on a proposal to extend a power line from St. Lawrence County to the tri-lakes region of the northern Adirondack Park.

The Residents' Committee to Protect the Adirondacks sent a letter Wednesday to the New York Power Authority urging the agency to start the line at the Stark reservoir in Parishville and run it along highways to have little environmental impact on the way to Tupper Lake in Franklin County.

The group is endorsing one of two NYPA proposals -- the other is to extend a line from Newton Falls to Tupper Lake -- with just a few changes.

"These are the questions to ask early in the project," said Peter E. Bauer, RCPA executive director.

NYPA and Niagara Mohawk Power Corp., a National Grid company, are extending a line from the county to improve electrical service in Tupper Lake, Lake Placid and Saranac Lake.

Tupper Lake and Lake Placid get power for their municipal electric systems from NYPA.

The $29 million project is expected to be in service by 2008.

NYPA's project application to the Adirondack Park Agency, which is expected to be filed in the fall, must include a preferred route and an alternative, said NYPA spokeswoman Connie M. Cullen.

No decision has been made.

"Right now, we're still in the study phase. We're probably going to be coming back into the community to get feedback on the info we've found," Ms. Cullen said.

The environmental nonprofit, which has more than 3,800 members, prefers extending the line from the Stark reservoir along Route 56 in the town of Colton to the intersection of Route 3 at Sevey, where it would turn east and mostly stay along the highway until Tupper Lake.

The RCPA, however, opposes NYPA's proposal to veer the line west off of Route 56 in southern Colton to bypass a forest preserve that straddles the highway. NYPA's proposal is to stretch the line around the preserve and bring it back to the highway. The RCPA believes that would be more environmentally damaging than staying along Route 56.

"As long as they kept the line within 100 feet of the road, they'd remain in the corridor," he said. "We think they should exhaust all options to keep it on the roadside of 56."

The nonprofit also urged NYPA to bury the line in areas along the route deemed scenic. The RCPA suggested NYPA consider alternative energy sources -- a proposal that would likely scrap the entire project -- and tweak the proposal to keep the line from passing over homes in Childwold in the town of Piercefield.

The group adamantly opposes extending the line east from Newton Falls to Route 3 because it would cross rivers and wetlands.

"Many of the issues brought up by the residents' committee are issues we're well aware of," Ms. Cullen said.

NYPA has met with the nonprofit, as well as municipal leaders, and had a public forum in June on the proposals.

The proposal calls for NYPA to acquire permits for the line, which Niagara Mohawk will build. NYPA would own the line until 2012, when Niagara Mohawk will take it over.