| Plum Creek Plan Newsletter |
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Coalition to Preserve and Grow Northern Maine Coalition Newsletter - Issue Number 79 Chair: Jim Batey, Somerset Economic Development Corporation Treasurer: Diane Bartley, DKB Catering, Greenville Secretary: Carolann Ouellette, Moose Point Tavern, Jackman Moosehead Manufacturing Shutting Down Company sales have dropped 45% in the last six or seven years. Artificially low-priced imported furniture is to blame for the decline in business. Moosehead Manufacturing was the largest employer in Monson and one of the largest employers in Dover- Foxcroft. In Dover-Foxcroft, Moosehead Manufacturing’s property value is just under $2 million and pays about $37,000 in taxes annually, representing 1% of the local tax base. The Monson property is valued at $2.6 million, with annual taxes of about $34,000, representing 4% of the local tax base. The company is not yet sure when it will close, as it must finish filling orders, liquidate its assets and pay its creditors. The company expects to retain a 36- member skeleton crew until all assembly and clerical work is complete. Moosehead Manufacturing plans to send the rest of its inventory to retail stores and its outlet store in Dover-Foxcroft. The company has not yet made plans to sell its facilities. Moosehead employees received paychecks Thursday and will be paid again next week. No severance package has been determined. Plum Creek Plan Revisions Announced Plum Creek has met with the Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC), stakeholders in the Moosehead Lake area and federal and state agencies to receive their feedback. Plan revisions are intended to continue to meet the conservation, economic development and public access needs of the region. The revisions are expected to include the following changes in development, conservation and zoning: Development
Millinocket Resort Hearings Set The application seeks to rezone land in Township 1, Range 8 to build a resort lodge, a mixed-use subdivision and associated businesses along Millinocket Lake and Hammond Ridge. The plan calls for 35 residential lots and 12 mixed-use town houses as well as an 80-room "adventure lodge," a restaurant, an agricultural center and artisan living spaces, among other things, on 244 of 1,450 acres. LURC will likely hold technical sessions in the early afternoon on March 28th and the formal public hearing that evening. The meetings will be held in the Millinocket area, either at the high school or the Baxter State Park headquarters. LURC will keep the record open for several weeks after the meeting to accept additional comments before LURC staff drafts a recommendation to the commission. Quality of Life The article by Peter Howell and Michael Donlan (BDN, Jan. 30) on the Plum Creek proposal focuses on supposed profit margins as they would play out under two potential development scenarios. What the article doesn’t discuss in its breakdown of the two scenarios is the economic impact of losing hundreds of thousands of acres of traditional-use land if it ends up as kingdom lots instead of remaining open to the public for hunting, fishing and many other recreational uses. Although it is not possible to put a price tag on quality of life, I am sure that most locals (those of us who can’t afford the kingdom lots), would agree that maintaining access to these lands warrants considering the option which potentially give Plum Creek shareholders more return on their investment. However accurate these estimates may be, the real question is do we force Plum Creek’s hand to the point where they are pushed into a situation where everyone loses or do we accept that a good plan can work for everyone. Smearing Plum Creek The recent smear campaign against Plum Creek orchestrated by the Natural Resources Council of Maine ought to be a wake-up call to everyone who enjoys public access on private land or who works in the woods. NRCM is targeting one of the most responsible landowners in Maine, whose public-access policy is second to none. Why? By making a good company a poster child for bad management, they hope to scare Plum Creek and other landowners right out of the state. These tactics have worked admirably since the first clear-cutting referendum was initiated by Jonathan Carter. Look at the changes in land ownership since then. Of course, large owners are leaving Maine. In their wake, we see the loss of public access and the loss of forest products for mills such as mine. The ultimate agenda of these groups is federal ownership of northern Maine. NRCM is having a field day splashing accusations about Plum Creek’s harvesting violation all over the TV. As those of us who work in the woods know, this was a technical violation not an environmental calamity. Many other landowners made the same mistake when the Forest Practices Act was changed. From firsthand experience, I am certain that if Plum Creek and other forest companies in Maine continue to manage their lands the way they do now, there will be access and jobs for future generations. Knowing some of Plum Creek’s outstanding foresters, it bothers me to see them attacked by those who have their own fundraising and political agendas. People can honestly disagree with Plum Creek’s plan for their land near Moosehead Lake, but there is no reason to cloud the issues with such mean-spirited accusations. Plum Creek Donations in 2006 The company distributed grants to a broad range of organizations in 2006 to support education, the environment, arts and a variety of other important causes. Below is a list of organizations that received grants from the Plum Creek Foundation:
2007 100-Mile Wilderness Sled Dog Race The race is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. at the Inland Fisheries & Wildlife parking area in Greenville. Come early and watch the excitement as 25 teams of canine athletes and mushers prepare to head out on the trail from Greenville to Brownville and back! For more information please contact Amy Dugan at 695-3754 or info@mtnridge.com. You can also get more information at www.greenvilleme.com. Public Hearing on Baldacci Schools Plan The plan is intended to save $250 million in savings over two years while reducing administrative costs, improving education and cutting taxes. The plan would eliminate 152 administrative offices and 290 school boards, and replace them with 26 regional offices overseen by 26 citizen committees. The following concerns were raised during the day- long public hearing:
Refinery Project Still Searching For Site The organization has visited Baileyville and Millinocket. Lincoln, Old Town and Presque Isle are other areas being considered. FDC has been finalizing a deal with its technology partner, which will build and operate the refinery that will supply bio-oil that will power the electrical plant. FDC imagines a pyrolysis refinery and accompanying 25-megawatt electrical plant would be the first of several such tandem operations in the state. Each could create about 50 jobs, 20 for harvesting 800 to 900 tons of low-grade wood, such as hog-fuel, sawdust or chips, per day for the 30-worker plant to process into bio-oil. The bio-oil would fuel the creation of electricity about as cleanly as does natural gas in specially designed plants located near the refineries - preferably within 50 to 70 miles. FDC is examining rail, sea and road options and the availability of low- grade wood within prospective host communities to see how they could all combine to lessen production costs for the bio-oil. FDC needs a community that has extensive wood supplies and infrastructure that supports forestry, yet is close to the New England power grid so that the electricity plant can sell electricity to consumers. Site selection could occur by June, with permitting afterward, construction beginning by year's end, and operations starting within two years. FDC’s technology partner is expected to be named by early to mid-March. Read the Plum Creek Plan You should also be able to access the EMDC study as well as ITS trail maps from this website. Read the EMDC Study of the Plum Creek Plan Impacts http://mainegov- images.informe.org/doc/lurc/reference/resourceplans/ moosehead/2006-08-18appb.pdf [Caution: This is a very large file and may take a long time to download.] Upcoming Events For more details, please call the Coalition Information Center at 888-702-7466 or send us an e-mail at cpgnm@verizon.net. email: info@preservegrowme.org |
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