Plum Creek no good for Maine

Congratulations to the Land Use Regulation commissioners who on Oct. 10 rebuffed Plum Creek Timber Co.’s latest request for hearings on their gargantuan commercial development in the Moosehead Lake Region, albeit for technical reasons. However, like a double-edged sword, the public, state and federal agencies must now contend with yet another concept plan review, hearing delays, winter travel and more expenses.

Plum Creek, now the largest private landowner in the United States, can continue to spend millions of dollars on its public relations propaganda and the best attorneys and lobbyists money can buy. For shame on those chambers of commerce, selectmen and county commissions that have shortsightedly supported this enormous development without carefully reviewing recent history, or even bothering to systematically review the latest plan.

Plum Creek’s track record in the West is crystal clear: It has been a miserable steward of the environment and promised community revenues that have not materialized. Counties are suing Plum Creek, while Plum Creek is countersuing for failure to provide paved roads and infrastructure they want but are unwilling to finance. Expect the same situation in Somerset and Piscataquis counties if development is approved by LURC.

Some within the public continue to be lulled into complacency thinking that tax dollars from megadevelopment will benefit Rockwood and Greenville. Think again, since tax revenues will go downstate to the general fund and Mainers soon will be unable to afford paying taxes as property values are reassessed upward and rents increase.

And don’t fall for all the nonsense about school improvements (there won’t be any because wealthy landowners will send their kids to private academies), job increases (after construction, we’ll only see minimum-wage service jobs), and improved infrastructure (Greenville and Rockwood will have to provide for the increased fire, police, rescue, court and related services but won’t have any extra tax revenues to pay for them). What we will see from this megadevelopment is the likely loss of local businesses like Harris Drug Store, Auntie M’s and Morrell’s to Rite Aid, Wal-Mart, Lowe’s and Home Depot. Is this what the Moosehead Lake region is going to become?

This wilderness gem is all up for grabs as Plum Creek pressures LURC, legislators and the public to get a foot in the door. Meanwhile, other land developers wait patiently for a LURC ruling and their turn to develop Maine timberlands. Make no mistake about it, this is all about a Seattle-based corporation doing whatever it can to make its wealthy board members and stockholders even wealthier. It has nothing to do with traditional Maine values, what’s in the best interest of the region, wildlife conservation – someone needs to speak for the bald eagles, lynx, loons and ecotourism – wilderness protection, or leaving a legacy for our children and their children.

This is not about smart and sustainable growth. LURC commissioners: Please continue to have a backbone and disapprove the next round, which other than window dressing, we suspect will be more of the same.

Al Manville and Sandy Scholar live in Sapling Township in Somerset County.