TJ aka Teej
04-04-2006, 17:43
This topic was recently posted to the 'Media' forum as 'Good Week for Conservation,'
Here's today's mailing from the Natural Resources Council of Maine http://www.maineenvironment.org/Default.asp
PLUM CREEK CLAIMS TO HAVE LISTENED TO YOU,
BUT WHERE'S THE FINE PRINT?
Statement by Cathy Johnson
Once again, Plum Creek is trying to sell Maine people a bill of goods without the details, as they have made an announcement without sharing their actual plan. We urge caution until we all have the chance to read the fine print because with Plum Creek’s first proposal their initial announcement made the project sound good, but many problems appeared when people examined the fine print.
From what we see so far, Plum Creek claims to have listened, but they apparently did not hear. Plum Creek failed to make meaningful revisions to its previous massive, sprawling development scheme for the Moosehead Lake region. Plum Creek is proposing too much development in the wrong places, which would destroy the character of the region.
Plum Creek apparently wasn’t listening last year when thousands of Maine citizens expressed their huge concerns about the amount and location of development Plum Creek is proposing.
Plum Creek’s new plan allows basically the same amount of development they previously proposed, scattered in most of the same places, all across the Moosehead Lake region. There are the same number of lots as before – 975 – and most of them are proposed for the same spots as before.
Plum Creek has not gotten the message that Maine people want the development to be located in or next to the existing communities of Greenville and Rockwood.
While Plum Creek has proposed no development in the town of Greenville, it is still proposing to scatter development 10, 15, 20, 25 miles from town – at Lily Bay, and along the shorelines of northern Moosehead Lake, Indian Pond, Brassua Lake, Long Pond, and Prong Pond – a legendary moose-watchers paradise.
This new plan would destroy the unspoiled character of the region forever.
One big red flag is that the amount of land earmarked for development now and saved for future development in this plan is more than three times what Plum Creek said they were going to develop in their previous plan. We need to read the fine print to know more, but this is certainly a major concern.
This 30-year “buffer” in the plan provides no more protection than existing zoning, and is being used by Plum Creek as a holding tank for their next major wave of development. Plum Creek is proposing to do as much development as they can now and then do as much development as they can again in 30 years.
The “Alternative Vision” that we released three weeks ago shows that Plum Creek could do a substantial amount of development – 300-450 house lots and a resort all within two miles of existing towns and resorts – while protecting the ecology, economy and way of life of the Moosehead Lake Region. We hope that Maine’s Land Use Regulation Commission is true to its principles and pares Plum Creek’s wish list down to something similar to this vision.
Here's today's mailing from the Natural Resources Council of Maine http://www.maineenvironment.org/Default.asp
PLUM CREEK CLAIMS TO HAVE LISTENED TO YOU,
BUT WHERE'S THE FINE PRINT?
Statement by Cathy Johnson
Once again, Plum Creek is trying to sell Maine people a bill of goods without the details, as they have made an announcement without sharing their actual plan. We urge caution until we all have the chance to read the fine print because with Plum Creek’s first proposal their initial announcement made the project sound good, but many problems appeared when people examined the fine print.
From what we see so far, Plum Creek claims to have listened, but they apparently did not hear. Plum Creek failed to make meaningful revisions to its previous massive, sprawling development scheme for the Moosehead Lake region. Plum Creek is proposing too much development in the wrong places, which would destroy the character of the region.
Plum Creek apparently wasn’t listening last year when thousands of Maine citizens expressed their huge concerns about the amount and location of development Plum Creek is proposing.
Plum Creek’s new plan allows basically the same amount of development they previously proposed, scattered in most of the same places, all across the Moosehead Lake region. There are the same number of lots as before – 975 – and most of them are proposed for the same spots as before.
Plum Creek has not gotten the message that Maine people want the development to be located in or next to the existing communities of Greenville and Rockwood.
While Plum Creek has proposed no development in the town of Greenville, it is still proposing to scatter development 10, 15, 20, 25 miles from town – at Lily Bay, and along the shorelines of northern Moosehead Lake, Indian Pond, Brassua Lake, Long Pond, and Prong Pond – a legendary moose-watchers paradise.
This new plan would destroy the unspoiled character of the region forever.
One big red flag is that the amount of land earmarked for development now and saved for future development in this plan is more than three times what Plum Creek said they were going to develop in their previous plan. We need to read the fine print to know more, but this is certainly a major concern.
This 30-year “buffer” in the plan provides no more protection than existing zoning, and is being used by Plum Creek as a holding tank for their next major wave of development. Plum Creek is proposing to do as much development as they can now and then do as much development as they can again in 30 years.
The “Alternative Vision” that we released three weeks ago shows that Plum Creek could do a substantial amount of development – 300-450 house lots and a resort all within two miles of existing towns and resorts – while protecting the ecology, economy and way of life of the Moosehead Lake Region. We hope that Maine’s Land Use Regulation Commission is true to its principles and pares Plum Creek’s wish list down to something similar to this vision.