Plum Creek proposal should have closer look

The Plum Creek Timber Co. proposal to rezone thousands of acres in the Moosehead Lake region is the largest in Maine history and one of the largest such rezoning requests ever proposed in this country.

For the past 30 months, the Moosehead Region Futures Committee has been concerned that the Plum Creek plans will irrevocably alter the unique character of the area, which would be unfortunate at the very least from an environmental standpoint, and which in turn would adversely affect nature-based tourism and sustainable, vibrant economic development for the future.

It is clear even from its own application language that most of Plum Creek’s proposed “development” would be handed over to others, and many of the jobs that might be generated would dry up when the construction phase ends. It is also clear that many of those same jobs may in fact be filled by commuting workers from as far away as Bangor, rather than providing the promised windfall to local residents. In fact, a close examination of the proposal shows that there is no guarantee at all that any resort properties other than a 15-room motel and a 25-room motel may ever be built.

That smacks too heavily of a purely residential development of second or third homes, with a conveniently placed sales and promotion office located in a small motel on the grounds. If that sounds familiar, remember the time-share craze of the ’80s. Does the region need 2,200 more second or third homes or maybe even time-shared condominiums? Will those who acquire those properties truly contribute to the welfare of the local economy where help is needed, or won’t they more likely simply add more strain to existing infrastructure and demand ever more services for their properties? Where is the tipping point beyond which the beloved Moosehead region becomes just another Lake Winnepesaukee or other southern New England resort community, with all of their attendant congestion, crime, waste streams and overburdened public services?

Then there is the money. How much money will Plum Creek, having added virtually no real value to its land, be making simply by having it rezoned? The Open Space Institute estimates it to be as much as an additional $33 million. The public should know the size of this windfall and it should be shared with the residents of the region. Precedent for such sharing of windfall profits clearly exists in Alaska, where oil extraction rights provide an annual profit-sharing check for those most affected. Isn’t the conversion of generations-old timberlands to subdivisions nothing less than permanent resource extraction?

If the Land Use Regulation Commission has not investigated other operations of Plum Creek, a real estate investment trust, why not? Testimony provided at intervening party hearings in December by Commissioner Joe Brenneman of Flathead County, Mont., clearly indicated there was ample reason to do so. LURC members themselves drew that conclusion clearly from the questions they posed to this important and very credible witness. If this is beyond LURC’s jurisdiction or competence, then Gov. John Baldacci should organize a review of Plum Creek’s land development schemes and rezoning efforts in other states and share the findings with the public.

Could LURC’s reluctance to look into Plum Creek’s track record be connected in any way to Plum Creek paying for much of the cost associated with the review – an arrangement that may seem fair at the outset, considering the monumental costs incurred by the state, but one that may not in the end analysis enhance LURC’s impartiality.

Why haven’t the governor, the Legislature and the Maine congressional delegation showed more interest in the largest rezoning plan ever presented in Maine – and likely one of the largest in the U.S.? To fully protect the best interests of the citizens of Maine they should all not be absent from an issue of this magnitude and should get involved now.

Could the lack of interest by the political arm of Maine government be connected with the influence and muscle of Plum Creek – including retaining many of the most influential lawyers and legal firms in the state? Have not there been numerous recent articles in major Maine newspapers concerning Plum Creek’s penchant for influence-peddling at the federal level regarding protection of critical habitat for endangered Canada lynx? Habitat, it might be added, that falls squarely in the middle of their proposed development plans at Moosehead Lake.

We urge our elected representatives to get involved in this momentous proposal so that we do not find that we have squandered one of the greatest natural assets in the country for the benefit of a corporate windfall and little else.

Jim Glavine is president of the Moosehead Region Futures Committee, a diverse group of individuals who live and work in the vast Moosehead Lake area.