BANGOR (AP) – A Millinocket man who wants to develop a $65 million ecotourism resort in the shadow of Mount Katahdin has filed with the Land Use Regulation Commission.

Matthew Polstein, who owns a restaurant and whitewater tour guide business, has been working for three years on the project that includes a community center, campground and a residential and mixed-use subdivision on 1,450 acres along Millinocket Lake and Hammond Ridge.

“This project has statewide implications because it offers a type of development that is very sensitive to balancing resource use on the fringe of the northern forest,” Polstein said. “If you look at the debate over Plum Creek, that is a concern for many people in the state of Maine. This offers one model of how this can be done.”

LURC is reviewing Plum Creek Timber Co.’s rezoning request for a development in the Moosehead Lake region.

The development, dubbed Ktaadn Resorts, would generate at least 60,000 visitor-days in the Katahdin region or draw 17,000 tourists to his resort for about 31/2 days each, Polstein said.

“We are confident that as we bring more people to the area, that more people will be interested in staying and finding a way to have their own economic opportunity here,” Polstein said.

Once LURC finds that the zone-change application for Polstein’s project is complete, there will be a review period of up to six months by the commission staff. There’s no requirement that the staff conduct a public hearing, but officials say a hearing will be held if the public requests one.

AP-ES-11-30-06 1707EST