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Next Move on Plum Creek Sits with State Regulators

February 13, 2008 - AUGUSTA - The fate of Plum Creek's development plan for the Moosehead Lake region is now in the hands of state regulators. With an antielimactic crack of the gavel, the head of the Land Use Regulation Commission brought to a close on Friday one of the most extensive public reviews of a development plan in Maine history. Now, LURC staff and board members will have to decide what to do with the hundreds of hours of testimony presented on Plum Creek's controversial development proposal.

"This is quite a ways from being concluded," Bart Harvey, LURC's chairman, told the crowd moments later. "We have a lot of work to do still."

Most of that work will be carried out by LURC staff, at least in the coming weeks. The commission directed the staff to work with a representative of the Attorney General's Office to put together a list of potential changes to Plum Creek's plan before submitting a recommended decision. No time frame was given for staff to submit the recommended changes.

The record will remain open in the meantime to allow the public to continue commenting on the proposal. Plum Creek officials have indicated a willingness to some changes to clarify the intent of their 30-year concept plan.

The big question, however, is how the company would respond to any attempt to dramatically scale back the scope of the development Seattle-based Plum Creek is seeking LURC authorization to carve out 975 house lots and two large resorts on roughly 20,000 acres that the company owns in the Moosehead region. It is the single-largest development plan in state history. The proposal includes conservation easements on 91,000 acres of forestland.

Additionally, Plum Creek has negotiated a separate, $35 million deal - contingent on LURC approval of the development plan - that would protect another 340,000 acres through easements and land sales to conservation groups.

LURC has held more than 200 hours of proceedings on Plum Creek's plan, including four public hearings and four weeks of technical sessions with dozens of interested parties. Testimony during the public hearings focused heavily on the emotioned aspects of Plum Creek's plan - namely, whether the development would help revive the region's ailing economy or wreak environmental havoc on the local lakes, forests and wildlife.

The technical hearings focused on the minutiae of the plan, from lot size and the legal obligations of homeowners associations to potential impacts on Canada lynx, brook trout and backcountry recreation guides. One theme that surfaced repeatedly during the technical hearings was lack of specifics when it came to house lot locations and the types of resorts proposed for Big Moose Mountain and Lily Bay.

Some opponents suggested Plum Creek was attempting to hide the company's true plans until they were able to set in stone the number of house lots and resort locations. They predicted that, as currently written, the concept plan would weaken LURC's ability to stop inappropriate development. Plum Creek officials insisted that plans for each subdivision and resort plans would have to be approved by LURC. But officials said the company needed flexibility to ensure the plan would work financially especially if Plum Creek sells off its development rights on the 430,000-plus acres in the conservation plan.

"This is the second-largest conservation deal in U.S. history and, thus, there is a degree of certainty that we are seeking," James Kraft, a senior vice president and general counsel at Plum Creek, said Friday.

Commissioners and parties on all sides said they were pleased with the civil tone of the hearings, despite the passions and differences of opinion. Luke Muzzy, Plum Creek's senior land asset manager in Maine, credited LURC staff with running a smooth and orderly process. He also reiterated a willingness to address concerns expressed by LURC and opponents.

Members of the Moosehead Region Futures Committee, a grassroots organization of Moosehead-region residents, said the hearings made clear there are "significant problems" with both the development plan and the conservation proposal. They called on Plum Creek to respond by making major changes to its plan.

Written comments on the Plum Creek proposal should be sent to: Land Use Regulation Commission, 22 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0022. Comments can also be e-mailed to lurc@maine.gov.

SOURCE: BANGOR DAILY NEWS

DATE: 01-27-2008


Lakes: Moosehead Lake
Regions: Moosehead


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