The North Maine Woods is truly at a crossroads, the importance of which is unprecedented.
If the Land Use Regulation Commission fails to drastically modify Plum Creek’s proposed subdivision and development plans for the Moosehead Lake region, not only will that precious area be irreversibly harmed, but also a monumental precedent will be set for all large landowners in Maine’s unorganized territory.
The message will be, “If you’re not making your return on investment in forestry, just do a massive Las Vegas-style land development project and claim it’s good for jobs in a depressed area.”
I am a professional logger, forester and arborist. I consider myself an avid outdoorsman, but am not of the radical Earth First slant. My family owns 150 acres in Maine, and I am a firm believer in private property rights. However, private property rights are limited to uses that do not harm others or diminish the property of others. In fact, one of government’s major roles is to step in, when necessary, to ensure this.
For instance, the Forest Practices Act prevents me from turning our family’s 150 acres into a wasteland of mud and ruts. The Shoreland Zoning laws prevent us from polluting the waters of Lake Hebron in Monson. Local zoning in Gray precludes building of an amusement park out back for our neighbors to endure 24 hours a day.
Plum Creek’s proposed subdivision and development project goes way beyond normal private property rights. The plan calls for two resorts on opposite sides of Moosehead Lake, two RV parks, a marina, a golf course, almost 1,000 house lots and dozens of camps along the perimeter of Moosehead.
This plan represents the largest subdivision in Maine history, the largest project ever put before LURC, and has a development footprint of 10,000 acres – yes, 10,000 acres, half the area of an average town. Just imagine the complimentary development such a plan would draw to the area: restaurants, houses, roads, shopping centers, Wal-Mart, neon strip, bigger schools, etc. The very nature of the area would indeed be changed forever.
As I understand it, Plum Creek’s plan would also permanently protect certain lakes and ponds in the region. Much of the forestland not developed would presumably continue to be managed as working forest. I believe the plan includes some sort of 30-year moratorium on building for this undeveloped land. My problem is this: 30 years will pass in the blink of an eye, and then what? Another massive round of resorts and development? How about the dozens of other large Maine landowners in the unorganized territory? What’s to prevent them from jumping on the Plum Creek bandwagon and devising mega development plans for such spots as the headwaters of the St. John, the Allagash, the Katahdin region, all parts of northern and eastern Maine?
Often what defines very special places is what is not there. It is the lack of the development, the big box stores, the crowds and cars and houses that essentially make these places what they are. Do we not already have ample examples of “enough already” – places such as Freeport, North Conway, Kittery, Scarborough and Windham? It is sad enough to see regions like southern Maine get so filled with people and houses as the masses south of here try to escape their crowded neck of the woods.
But Moosehead and Katahdin, Piscataquis and Aroostook counties, the St. John and Allagash Rivers – these are gems to be protected for future generations. Good Lord, if we can’t save these places, what on earth can we save?
I would ask people to please get involved with this one. Whether you are a hunter or fisherman, a camper, paddler or skier. Whether your family has been in Maine for generations or you arrived last week from Boston or New York. This Plum Creek subdivision and development project – 10,000 acres, the largest ever in Maine – must be stopped or severely modified.
If people love Maine and want to have something left for their children and grandchildren, help me send a loud and clear voice of rejection to Plum Creek and let LURC know that this is not the kind of sustainable development we want in Maine’s North Woods.
Michael A. Maines is a graduate of the University of Maine in Orono with a bachelors of science degree in forestry and a master of forestry degree. He currently runs Maines Tree Works Inc., a small logging and forestry business in Gray.
Comments are no longer available on this story