Today’s announcement proposes an interesting framework for conservation in the Moosehead Lake region, but Maine people are still in the dark about how Plum Creek will scale back its massive, sprawling development scheme.
Although we are encouraged by elements of today’s announcement, it is premature to judge this proposal until we know how much Plum Creek has changed its original, totally unacceptable development plan.
We are pleased that Plum Creek seems to understand that land conservation in the Moosehead region must be permanent.
But we have no idea whether they have heard the views of Maine people that development in the area must be located near existing towns and the ski area at Moose Mt.
There are two major questions regarding the future of the Moosehead region:
- The amount and location of development
- The amount and permanency of conservation
LURC’s rules require a “publicly beneficial balance between conservation and development.”
Today’s announcement says nothing about the development side of this equation. The amount and location of development has the greatest potential to destroy the character of the Moosehead Lake region.
