Weekly FACT
Did you know…
Of the 426,000 acres of Plum Creek land within the Plan area,

Only 9,320 acres (2 percent) would be zoned “development”:

3,000 acres - zoned to allow a destination resort (remember the historic Kineo Resort?)
500 acres - zoned to allow a tourism center
1,000 acres - zoned to allow commercial and industrial development (a sawmill, for example)
1,755 acres - zoned to allow 575 shorefront lots (clustered, developed over a 15 year phase-in)
2,000 acres - zoned to allow 400 backlots (clustered, developed over a 15 year phase-in)
600 acres - zoned to allow for 3 campgrounds
365 acres - zoned to allow sporting camps and new infrastructure
100 acres - zoned to allow affordable housing

Catherine Carroll, Director
Land Use Regulation Commission
22 State House Station
Augusta, Maine 04333

LURC should give particular weight to the voices of northern Maine. It is the year-round, full-time residents of Piscataquis and Somerset Counties who know how beneficial the balanced plan of preservation, conservation and development is going to be. LURC must listen to the local voices.

The Plan follows the CLUP (LURC’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan); the Plum Creek Plan is the type of long-term planned growth which LURC has asked for. Predictability is good – how many other large landowners are coming forward with a Plan that will be bring predictability and stability to two counties and beyond?

Stabilization of working forest jobs is a huge plus for workers and employers.

Planned is better than unplanned.

Private property rights – it is Plum Creek’s land and they are being generous and responsible in bringing their Plan forward.

Snowmobile trails; Plum Creek is a good friend to snowmobilers.

History: this area used to thrive with resorts and sporting camps. The region has had a downturn in tourists and in residents; it needs to get back the vibrancy it once enjoyed.

The 30-year plan provides needed flexibility.

There is something for everyone in the Plan.

The region will be helped in terms of schools, the hospital, affordable housing.

The region desperately needs economic development.

Plum Creek has been a good neighbor. Too many landowners are shutting off their lands for traditional uses.

The development will only occur in those areas already developed; or labeled as able to be developed by LURC.

What other landowner has a Plan that preserves and conserves 98%, and develops only 2% of their land?

Tom Adkins of Monson said damage to his equipment was estimated at about $4,000. Gauges were smashed on his fellerbuncher, a machine that cuts trees, and computer wire was wrapped around logs that were moved into the roadway and scattered about.

The vandals also left behind a message, “Stop Cutting Wood”, scratched in the fellerbuncher, he said.

(Jim) Lehner of Plum Creek said talks are planned with (Piscataquis County Sheriff) John Goggin and the Maine State Police to determine what security measures can be offered to curtail the vandalism.

“I think the people who did this to Adkins are targeting Plum Creek, but they don’t understand that who they’re really hurting are independent logging contractors,” Lehner said. “They’re hurting individual small businesses.”

Coalition Information Center Advertises Hours
The Coalition Information Center will be open extra hours during next weekend’s Annual Fly-In in Greenville. The following ad will appear in the Moosehead Messenger and the Piscataquis Observer. If you are in the area, please stop by!

Thank you for taking the time to read our newsletter. Please forward this to your family, friends, neighbors, co-workers and organizations you belong to and help us spread the word. Any questions or comments may be directed to Edie Leary eleary@eatonpeabody.com or Will Gardiner wgardiner@eatonpeabody.com or by calling The Coalition Information Center at 1-888-702-7466 or (207) 695-2264.