What will the future of the Moosehead Lake Region be in 30 years? According to Plum Creek’s latest concept plan, there will be 975 housing units, two large resorts with 1,050 dwelling units encompassing approximately 20,000 acres of land. What are the economic, environmental, ecological and human costs of a fragmented forest? Once our forest is developed at such a large scale, we cannot promote the wild and unchanging character of the region that attracts our tourists from the state, nation and world.

The Moosehead Lake Region can be at the forefront of providing a world-class wilderness experience. Other areas with large tracts of undeveloped lands already recognize the value of their wilderness as an integral part of their outdoor recreation economy.

For example, Utah’s Gov. Jon Huntsman recently rescinded his plan to remove protection of 4 million acres of roadless areas because of overwhelming public support for their wilderness. Indeed, the CEO of Black Diamond, an outdoor gear company, stated that the potential loss of protection made him and other outdoor businesses think to “leave Utah for a place that more closely shares their commitment to preserving our nation’s remaining wild places,” according to Backcountry Magazine. Already in Maine, our economy has transitioned from wood products to nature-based tourism.

Visitors to Maine’s state parks and lands in 2005 contributed over $6.3 million in goods and services to our economy. The No. 1 reason tourists visited these areas was for observing nature (Morris et al., 2006, www.maine.gov). Promoting our wilderness heritage and the value of the Maine woods would increase these economic contributions and encourage other outdoor recreation-related business such as Black Diamond to establish and further promote Maine’s wilderness.

Protecting the Maine woods for backcountry and other forms of recreation ensures guaranteed access for all people of all ages for all time, particularly for local residents who stand to lose special places to development. The residents of Piscataquis County tremendously value the forest surrounding their communities.

Clean water, clean air, lots of open space and pleasant natural settings were the most preferred location characteristics for residents of Greenville, Dover-Foxcroft, Brownville and Milo in a survey performed by the University of Maine. Further, surveyed residents favor outdoor recreation activities that involve backcountry, wilderness areas. These include, in order of importance: walking, camping, fishing, hiking, bird-watching, canoeing and kayaking, and hunting (Reilly and Morris, 2004, www.umaine.edu/mcsc).

Let us consider the impact of development in communities adjacent to the Maine woods. Plum Creek states that resort development at Lily Bay and Big Moose Mountain are the catalysts for local economic development. Consider the Suncadia Resort in Roslyn, Wash., established by a Plum Creek development plan, as an example of the proposed Maine resorts. Local retail, restaurant, pubs, inns and other businesses are likely to see diminished returns from the Maine resort development. The Suncadia Resort includes a “range of restaurants, pubs, galleries and boutiques” as well as “distinctive dining and shopping options to suit a variety of tastes” (www.suncadia.com). Further, if residents are to be considered for employment at the resorts, why is employee housing included in the Maine resort development area?

Any development targeted to the Moosehead Lake Region should apply an innovative, comprehensive approach of the whole landscape area incorporating the principles of smart growth. Development threatens our wilderness heritage and it includes a wide variety of consequential environmental issues including increased carbon emissions, run-off, air pollution, water pollution, waste, as well as other detrimental factors of regional, state and worldwide significance.

If we apply the principles of smart growth to the latest Plum Creek concept plan, then the Lily Bay Resort and residential development along Long Pond, Lily Bay, Route 6-15 corridor, Upper Wilson Pond and Beaver Cove are inappropriate. Though the plan incorporates conservation easements around the proposed development to “prevent sprawl,” the plan itself inherently sprawls the Maine woods. The listed proposed development sites are not located by existing communities, do not have a variety of transportation options, and do not offer walkable neighborhoods to services and businesses such as smart growth recommends.

Furthermore, other landowners in adjacent proposed development areas are likely to engage in the lucrative development of the region, continuing the process of wilderness sprawl. We, the residents of the Moosehead Lake Region and residents of Maine, must carefully assess the impact of 975 new homes, 1,050 more resort accommodations (including houses also) and undefined commercial development in 20,000 acres of forest dispersed throughout 400,000 acres of the Maine woods.

The Plum Creek Lake concept plan is not the end-all solution to local economic development in the Moosehead Lake Region. This plan will greatly affect the local population and those who have been drawn here to visit for many years. The Maine woods is a national gem worth protecting for all people for all time. Please consider engaging in the process as information on the Plum Creek plan emerges. Any comments once submitted to the Land Use Regulation Commission regarding previous editions are not applicable to the latest concept plan.

Darci Schofield, a regional conservation organizer for the Sierra Club, lives in Greenville.