ORONO – Stating that there’s little developable land remaining in the Moosehead Lake region, representatives of Plum Creek Timber Co. say their plan to conserve the majority of their 426,000 acres in the area, while leaving 2 percent of the land for development, is what the region needs.

“This is not a development plan,” Luke Muzzy, the company’s senior land asset manager for Maine, said Friday. “It leads to development, but it’s actually geared toward zoning.”

Muzzy and Jim Lehner, Plum Creek’s northeast representative, spoke to a crowd of about 30 at the University of Maine as part of the Mitchell Center seminar series.

Muzzy and Lehner explained that the project’s goal is not to bring immediate development to the area, but rather to set aside parcels for designated types of future development.

The timber company intends, pending state approval, to create and sell off nearly 1,000 house lots and to set aside other property for the development of two resorts, three campgrounds and possibly a saw mill.

“If we don’t zone some land for a resort, the area will likely never have one,” Muzzy said, noting that tourism is a prime economic driver for the area.

Nearly 9,000 of 426,000 acres the company owns in northern Piscataquis and Somerset counties will be rezoned for development, while the remainder would be subject to development restrictions and would continue to operate as a working forest for Plum Creek.

The development is expected to occur over the 10 to 15 years after the proposed project is approved.

Attempting to suppress rumors and fears that Plum Creek’s plan is going to bring with it casinos and water pollution from large marinas, the two explained that developers will have to comply with state and local provisions, in addition to covenants issued by the company.

The intent is for development to blend in with Maine culture and the traditions of the Moosehead Lake area.

“It’s got to be special for Maine,” Muzzy said.

The area’s population has decreased significantly over the last two decades, and Piscataquis County now is listed as the poorest in the state, they noted.

“We know that what’s been happening for the past 20 years isn’t working,” Muzzy said. “We’re pretty excited about the economic opportunities that this plan might create for the area.”

The company now is in the final stages of gathering input on the plan, and is starting to make revisions to the project before submitting it to the state, potentially by the end of the year.

“We still have a rigorous public hearing process to go through for the zoning,” Muzzy said.

The company representatives said they hope the public hearing process will take place over the winter.