A Plum of a Deal?

With millions of acres of timberland changing hands in recent years, mills closing and shrinking and land being put off limits to some activities, uncertainty has been the predominant sentiment in northern Maine. An ambitious plan from Plum Creek Timber Co., the outlines of which were unveiled this week, to formalize the future use of 427,000 acres of its land around Moosehead Lake seeks to bring certainty to the company as well as local residents and businesses. What that certainty means – likely more conservation, continued timber harvest, enhanced recreational opportunities and a lot more development in specified areas – is what the Land Use Regulation Commission must determine as it evaluates the plan. The company expects to formally present its plan to the agency that governs development in the unorganized territories next month.

Plum Creek, which is incorporated as a Real Estate Investment Trust and will soon be the country’s largest timberland owner, has offered an unprecedented plan that will determine the future use of roughly half the land it owns in Maine. Commendably, the company met with Greenville area leaders, conservation groups, state officials and others to outline the plan before submitting it to LURC.

The most talked about element of the plan is the company’s proposal for development. It wants to set aside roughly 12,000 acres for potential development with 6,000 acres designated for camp lots. In exchange, the company would seek no further development in the future on the lands included in the plan. In essence the remainder of the land, 97 percent, would remain as it is now, said Plum Creek CEO Rick Holley who was in Maine to tout the plan.

Unlike easements, in which the state or conservation groups buy development rights – often at a high price – while the landowner continues to own and use the land, this plan would not cost the state money. The state, however, might get what it pays for since the land protection would not be guaranteed forever. Plum Creek says it wants to permanently protect much of its ownership but has only committed to a 30-year plan. LURC will have to decide if this is enough.

Other elements of the plan include two potential resorts and 112 miles of new snowmobile and hiking trails. On the novel side, the plan proposes to set aside about 1,000 acres for business development near Greenville. Land may also be given to the town or another entity to build affordable housing.

Greenville Town Manager John Simko is encouraged by the certainty the plan can bring to the region. Knowing that most of Plum Creek’s land in the area will remain in timber management could encourage local wood businesses to expand and new companies may be encouraged to locate there. The proposed resorts and camp development could also boost the local economy by bringing more people, and their money, to the area, Mr. Simko said.

While praising the certainty the plan could bring, environmental groups are concerned that development plans may overshadow conservation. LURC must ensure that land preservation and development are in the proper proportions and in the right areas. A guide for how to do this can be found on land owned by the Appalachian Mountain Club that abuts Plum Creek’s ownership. The club seeks to balance land conservation, recreation, forestry and economic development on land in the famed 100-Mile Wilderness. Although the land-use plan will stipulate what should happen on Plum Creek’s land, individual development proposals, for camp lots or subdivisions, for example, would require separate LURC approval, a process that includes public hearings.

They also rightly question whether LURC regulations can provide permanent land protection. In recent years, LURC’s budget has shrunk repeatedly and lawmakers have sought unsuccessfully to eliminate the agency. While state officials say LURC is up to the task of evaluating this plan, which has disparate elements and covers the largest acreage the agency has dealt with, when it receives it, it should not hesitate to seek outside expertise if it needs it.

This plan may offer a new approach to land management that protects prime spots, enhances recreation and benefits the local economy. Many questions remain to be answered to ensure that it is done right.