Maine's Moosehead Lake Targeted by Developer
Moosehead Lake symbolizes the beauty and remoteness of Maine’s North Woods. But a Seattle-based developer is pressing the state’s Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC) to approve a plan that would transform the area. Moosehead and six nearby lakes and ponds would absorb 975 houses, 36 miles of subdivision roads, two golf courses, and more.
The scheme would threaten the region’s high water quality, views from the Appalachian Trail, traditional backcountry guiding, and wildlife. The developer, Plum Creek Real Estate Investment Corp., has tentatively agreed to sell some of its land and development rights to conservation groups, but such actions would not significantly reduce the impact of this sprawling scheme.
Hearings are expected late this year or in early 2007, with LURC’s decision likely in 2008. Its ruling on this, the largest proposal in state history, will send an important signal to developers eager to subdivide other areas in Maine’s North Woods.
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