by the Associated Press
Maine Sunday Telegram news story
AUGUSTA – Plum Creek said Friday it is planning to revise its plan for a development in Maine’s Moosehead Lake region. Earlier versions of the plan have drawn opposition from environmental groups.
The Seattle-based Plum Creek said it changed its plan in response to suggestions from interested parties, including federal and state agencies. The company said it hopes the revisions address the concerns of some opponents while meeting conservation, economic development and public access needs.
The revised plan hasn’t been submitted to Maine’s Land Use Regulation Commission yet.
In January, the commission said it had suspended hearings that were to begin in a few months after Plum Creek said it wanted to make changes in a proposal that included 975 house lots and two resorts.
Plum Creek said its new plan calls for 30 percent to 40 percent less shoreline development. It says there will be increased development in less-sensitive areas, but the number of proposed lots outside of the resorts will remain at 975.
The company also calls for more development in the Moose Mountain resort area near Greenville and more acres permanently set aside to contain sprawl. The developer expects to provide the commission with a formal revised plan later this month.
It revised its original plan after environmental groups expressed concerns about what they saw as too much development in the wrong places.
