October 26, 2006
Partaking of the evil fruit?
Yep, the Nature Conservancy has bitten hard on the Plum Creek deal, agreeing to pay the big bad timber barons some $35 million to preserve 345,000 acres of forestland around Moosehead Lake..
Do the math and it works out to $101 per acre. That's cheap real estate these days. And a small price to pay to conserve a huge chunk of Maine's north woods.
Smart, too. The conservation easement will preserve 270,000 acres of land against future development while allowing timber harvesting and recreational access to continue ad infinitum. The remaining 75,000 acres will be purchased outright.
Yes, there's the matter of the two resorts and 950 house lots to be developed. But development is happening in the Moosehead region already, with more on the way. Better if it were planned and concentrated as Plum Creek has proposed, rather than sprouting willy-nilly as has been the case.
This conservation easement will be the second largest in the U.S. and will create a contiguous swath of protected lands from Baxter State Park west to Canada and north to the St. John River. A million and a half acres.
Read the above again if you would please. And then, when you get off the floor and back into your chair, kindly tell me what anyone truly interested in a balanced approach to conservation and economic development could possibly see bad in this deal.
It's a plum. And it tastes good. And I hope the folks at LURC swallow it whole when the time comes to give the project the final thumbs up.
Kudos to the forward-thinking people from the Nature Conservancy, Appalachian Mountain Club, Forest Society of Maine and others who've negotiated hard to make this happen.
And to Plum Creek and what I view as a commendable effort to work forthrightly with the State of Maine, conservation organzations and a concerned public to craft a workable, balanced plan.
Your thoughts?
I'm very happy baout this deal, any land that's bought for conservation is a step forward, but if this gives any advantage to the PLum Creek developemnt, I will be vey distraught. LURC still needs to understand the atrocity and evil of this plan.
Posted by
OtisOctober 27, 2006 05:02 PM
I give it a thumbs up. The Northwoods are going to be developed. More people can afford a second house. Retirees are moving here and to Florida at the same time. Snowbirds taking flight! Whatever can be preserved now and will be what remains for generations to come. Controlled development conservation easements makes sense. We need to preserve as much as posiable.
Posted by
MarcOctober 27, 2006 05:14 PM
Recent polling shows that Plum Creek's popularity is less than ever. Mostly because Plum Creek has changed little about their proposal. They are just offering a separate conservation deal now to make it look nice. Has absolutely nothing to do with the development application.
The area around Moosehead will still become wilderness sprawl under this deal, and there are tons of loopholes for further development (past the 2 resorts and 975 house lots).
The fruit from this plum tree is just plain rotten. They promise you Eden and instead you get Winnipesaukee.
Posted by
JimOctober 30, 2006 08:10 AM
"Nut" is a good way to describe the writer of this outdoors column. His words could not be better said if he worked for Plum Creek, or their new greewash machine, Nature Conservancy. For the truth, visit maineenvironment.org, where I recently saw a poll voting down Plum Creek and a map that shows what we're really talking about. Any self-respecting "outdoors nut" would be a little less smug and little more - a lot more - concerned.
Posted by
MarciaOctober 30, 2006 02:49 PM
Why, thank you Marcia! Your kind comments are most appreciated.
Posted by
CareyOctober 30, 2006 04:02 PM
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