Owner (Plum Creek) outlines big plan for land
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Mike Yencha, and others up north - What do you make of this latest development?
By MATT WICKENHEISER, Portland Press Herald WriterCopyright © 2004 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.
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RECENT MAINE LAND SALES
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RECENT MAINE LAND SALES 1999: The Timber Co., a subsidiary of the Georgia-Pacific Corp., completes the sale of nearly 440,000 acres in northern and eastern Maine to an institutional investor for nearly $51 million. The announcement does not identify the partners in the investment group but says the land will be managed by Wagner Forest Management Ltd. of Lyme, N.H.
International Paper Co. sells 245,000 acres of timberland surrounding 10 miles of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway to Clayton Lake Woodlands LLC.2003: MeadWestvaco Corp. reaches an agreement to sell 629,000 acres in Maine and New Hampshire to a group of anonymous buyers for more than $125 million as part of the company's effort to reduce debt. MeadWestvaco, which owns a paper mill in Rumford and is based in Stamford, Conn., said the sale includes 518,000 acres in Maine and 111,000 acres in New Hampshire. 2004: International Paper Company sells its forestland in Maine and New Hampshire, a total of about 1.1 million acres, to a private forest investment company, GMO Renewable Resources, for $250 million. IP, based in Stamford, Conn., says the sale should be completed by the first quarter of 2005.
Staff researchers Susan Butler, Beth Murphy
COMPANY PROFILE
PLUM CREEK TIMBER COMPANY INC. is the second-largest private timberland owner in the United States, with 8 million acres in the northwestern, southern and northeastern regions of the country.
THE COMPANY HARVESTS both old- and new-growth timber. It produces lumber, plywood, wood dust and medium-density fiberboard through subsidiaries. Plum Creek also has land management and real estate sales operations.
HEADQUARTERS: Seattle, Wash.
2003 SALES: $1.196 billion
2003 NET INCOME: $192 million
2003 EMPLOYEES: 2,040
CHAIRMAN: David D. Leland
PRESIDENT, CEO AND DIRECTOR: Richard R. Holley To top of story
Plum Creek Timber Co., one of Maine's largest landholders, will seek state permission to develop two "destination resorts" and 800 to 1,200 camp lots in the Moosehead Lake region.The proposed deal, thought to be the largest shorefront development plan the state has ever seen, includes a number of conservation incentives. For example, it would give the state permanent trail rights and shorefront conservation status to more than 50 undeveloped, "pristine" ponds in the area.Beyond its size, the plan is significant because the land is part of Maine's western wilderness and has potential both for development and for conservation.The plan, which Plum Creek hopes to submit to the state's Land Use Regulation Commission in late January, involves a total of 465,000 acres. A total of 14,000 acres would be developed, including 6,000 acres for camp lots, 6,000 acres for the two resorts, 1,000 acres for a business park in Greenville and 1,000 acres for low-income housing in the same town.The remaining 451,000 acres would be subject to a 30-year forest management plan that would allow Plum Creek to continue cutting trees on the property but preclude further development, essentially preserving the land as it is.Plum Creek President and Chief Executive Officer Richard R. Holley said the project represents "certainty" for a vast area of Maine's woodlands. "This is the plan; there's no phases," said Holley.The 465,000 acres include 48,500 acres that Plum Creek is buying from Hancock Timber Resource Group of Boston in a deal expected to close by year's end. Plum Creek will own 953,000 acres in Maine after the deal closes.Environmental groups were guarded but hopeful about Plum Creek's announcement. While the state Department of Conservation was optimistic about the proposal, it clearly viewed the plan as daunting."We're worried that when we see it, we're not going to have the ability to process it because it is so big," said Conservation Commissioner Patrick McGowan.McGowan said this is the largest shorefront development plan the state has ever seen. In addition to this proposal, the LURC has many other applications for the 10 million acres of unorganized territory it oversees, said McGowan.The plan contains a proposal to sell the state two pieces of land, one south of Jackman and one east of Kokadjo. McGowan said the area includes spots the state has eyed for a while, including the No. 5 Bog, Bald Mountain Pond and areas of the Roach Ponds.McGowan said the state's fund for buying conservation lands is empty, although Gov. John Baldacci is planning to seek a bond issue to provide additional money in 2005."We've got to have a land bond that puts us at the table with people like Plum Creek," McGowan said.Plum Creek's plans include the permanent addition of 43 miles of public hiking/cross-country skiing trails and 74.5 miles of snowmobile trails.James K. Lehner, Plum Creek's general manager of the Northeast region, said the camp lots would be concentrated in areas that are already developed, mostly around Long Pond and Brassua Lake, with some isolated lots off Spencer Bay on Moosehead.Clustering the lots in already developed areas is intended make the plan more palatable to the state and environmental groups, Lehner said. The exact size of the lots hasn't been established, but a smaller project on First Roach Pond has lot sizes of two to five acres, said Lehner. According to the Department of Conservation, waterfront lots in the area sell for about $100,000 per 1.5 acres.The two "destination resorts" are still conceptual, said Holley, but would attract snowmobilers, hikers and campers to a lodge type of building. There might be a golf course on the property as well.Plum Creek is considering two locations for the resorts, one between Brassua lake and Moosehead and one off Moosehead's Lily Bay, the site of a state park. Plum Creek would either sell the land to a resort developer or would work on a joint venture with a developer, said Holley.Both the Maine Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Council of Maine said they were pleased with Plum Creek's plan to negotiate with the state to sell tracts of conservation land. The Sierra Club said land the state could buy involves key parts of the Appalachian Trail wilderness.The Natural Resources Council said the overall plan still raised many questions."This is a really important area of the state. This is a huge proposal," said Cathy Johnson, North Woods project director for the Council. "I think we all need to look at the specifics of this very carefully and make sure the conservation is permanent and make sure the amount of the development they're proposing is not going to forever change the face of the Moosehead Region." Johnson said the Council would like to see the 451,000 acres that Plum Creek is putting into a 30-year forest management plan instead put into a conservation easement. That would make conservation of the land permanent, while allowing the same forestry use."Hopefully, we can talk to them and work out permanent conservation," she said.Johnson said the Council has had its "ups and downs" with Plum Creek. Development on First Roach Pond in the Moosehead Region has turned the once-remote area into a suburb of Greenville, she said.Jym St. Pierre, Maine director of Restore: The North Woods, said Plum Creek's pending purchase of 48,000 acres will make it the third-largest land owner in Maine.Plum Creek has taken heat in the West and Northwest for its forest management practices, said St. Pierre, but has been fairly clean in its work in Maine over the past six years."I think from what I've seen in the last half-dozen years, in fairness, I would say they've been more careful with their public image than the previous owners of these lands," he said. St. Pierre's group is pushing for a federal park in the North Woods. Part of the land involved in the Plum Creek plan would have been part of such an area, said St. Pierre.Jack Cashman, Maine's commissioner of economic development, said the state's objective is "to promote a sustainable forest program . . . in an environmentally sound way. If you do those two things, then the forest will also enhance our tourism initiatives."McGowan said he is looking forward to "working with the community in Greenville and the surrounding areas to plan a long-term economic future that might be different from what they've seen in the last century." Staff Writer Matt Wickenheiser can be contacted at 791-6316 or at:mwickenheiser@pressherald.com
I am with Doug on this. The plan seems well thought out. It will allow development in a thought out manner and allow continued timber production on the rest of the land. Even the environmental groups are holding their fire because this appears to be a good plan.
Better check with Trish Reilly. I don't think it's part of the larger plan.
quote:Originally posted by Doug Thomas:
It seems to me two destination resorts would bring employment to an area that desperately needs it. I spent almost four years working in those woods between Brassua and Moosehead Lakes. It seems like a good place for that kind of development to me. There certainly is a strong demand for camp lots in that part of the state. Done right what would the problem be? Again it would be a big boost to the local economy.
Doug - no accusations intended. Just trying to gauge the locals view of the development. Is there any part of the woods that would be deemed as a bad place for development?
laMaine.com,Reading through it I had only two concerns one was answered by what Cathy Johnson stated:
quote:"This is a really important area of the state. This is a huge proposal," said Cathy Johnson, North Woods project director for the Council. "I think we all need to look at the specifics of this very carefully and make sure the conservation is permanent and make sure the amount of the development they're proposing is not going to forever change the face of the Moosehead Region." Johnson said the Council would like to see the 451,000 acres that Plum Creek is putting into a 30-year forest management plan instead put into a conservation easement. That would make conservation of the land permanent, while allowing the same forestry use."Hopefully, we can talk to them and work out permanent conservation," she said.
I agree that the 451,000 acres should be put into a permanent conservation easement.My other concern was where the developement was going to occur. Putting it in clusters by already developed areas seems like a sound thing to do. The resorts if placed where they are talking would be great for the local economies. Greenville over the last few years has been really turning into a touristy type town. Some people do not like that but I think it is great that they could take a logging based economy and turn it around. If Millinocket could only do the same they would find that they can provide more jobs as well.I do not think that two resorts so close together will work out successfully (demographics). But then who knows. All in all if they stick to the developement where they said and if they can convert the 451,000 acres into permanent conservation easement. And if the state can aquire those other parcels, I say go for it!!!
LA,Probably that swamp Plum Creek wants to sell to the taxpayers.[ 12-15-2004: Message edited by: Doug Thomas ]
Does their plan eliminate hunting?
"Does their plan eliminate hunting?" I don't know, but that would probably be a hard sell other than in the resort areas and camp lot areas.
quote: I think it is great that they could take a logging based economy and turn it around.
Logging and recreation are not mutually exclusive. This development can be a good thing.
Regarding the flurry of land sales, we can thank the self proclaimed environmentalist organizations that are in reality nothing more than mail order fear marketers, (send us money to save the last remaining 'fill in the blank'). We had a relatively stable land tenure situation until the professional hand wringers drove those businesses out along with the help of the press, who was willing to publish their propaganda rather than go out and get their own story.
We can also thank Maine democrats, who apparently decided to sell out to the interests of the alleged environmentalist groups. Aparently the Natural Resources Council of Maine employs more union workers than Great Northern did. Way to go, Maine democrats! It takes more than being anti-business to qualify as being pro-labor Party of the working man? What a joke! Whatcha gonna do when working people wake up and see you've sold them out?
The BDN headline was "radical plan".
Anything the BDN doesn't understand is considered "radical." IMHO: Plum Creek's plan is excellent. They did a good job on the First Roach Pond project, leaving 75 percent of the shoreland undeveloped. They also rarely restrict access to their land.
It's only a matter of time now. Kiss the Great North Woods goodbye oh ye generations to come.
:( Wild Woman
Plum Creek buys land and is now wanting to sell off a ton of "lots" to who knows who to be posted in the future and flood "our" pristine woods and waters with right of ways to said water. I took a forester from out West hunting years ago and he told me about the land developers they really are. This man was a good hunter and very conservative politically speaking. He said they lied frequently and he spoke of just what this post details. Bye Bye is right.
Maine has plenty of land and not enough house lots. Development is a good thing.We have less people in this whole state than is in most real cities. The sky will not fall, chicken little.
Enough and Shep,Thats why we have the Land Use Regulation Commission. It's there job to make sure that the unorganized territories are protected and if developed, developed properly. Have either of you worked with LURC??? I assure you they are not ones to be taken lightly when it comes to developing this area. I know, I have worked with them many times.Besides nothing says the state has to agree to Plum Creeks plans.Like I said, first off the state should nail Plum Creek down to a conservation easement on the 451,000 arces forever not for 30 years.Resorts, can provide needed jobs for the people of Jackman, Greenville and Millinocket.Camp lots, it done right can provide needed tax dollars to depressed areas of the state.
No Mike, no experience with LURC. And I know it would be a great boost to the economy; a much needed boost. My fear is, once the door is open to development, it will only be a matter of time. Time changes things, and this can snowball so easily. I'm really afraid of it, but I'll keep an open mind. For hunters who fear any change or compormise will mean the end of all hunting, no exceptions, I"m shocked you so easily welcome this proposal. I sure hope this won't be a case of give an inch and they'll take a mile. I just don't see how it won't evolve into that scenario as times change and more and more people look to Maine for their summer home/cabin.But, since I am sure of my stand as not being anti-hunting but FOR changes in some of our hunting laws, I guess I should trust that LURC will protect overdevelopment and sell-outs. Talk about a rock and a hard place ! :(
Posted by Shep:
quote:I"m shocked you so easily welcome this proposal.
Like I said above, the one thing I would insist on would be the conservation easement on the remaining 451,000 acres of land. This conservation easement must be for life not the 30 years that they are suggesting because then there would always be the possibility of that land getting developed in the future. With this type of conservation easement it would also insure sustainable forestry. Simply because if they had not other future use other than logging they would make sure they managed it for continued forestry.Finally, I would like it to be left open to the traditional uses that is open for now. (Fishing, Camping, Hunting, ect...)With out this provision I would NOT be in support of this plan.
Guardian UK
Wednesday April 6, 2005 9:31 AMCo. Proposes Development for North Woods By JERRY HARKAVY
Associated Press Writer One of the nation's biggest landowners has filed a plan to develop nearly 1,000 camp lots and two resorts in the North Woods of Maine, an area where Henry David Thoreau roamed 150 years ago. It's the largest subdivision ever proposed in the 10.5 million acres of unorganized territories that the Maine Land Use Regulation Commission oversees, and environmental groups have vowed to give the plan careful scrutiny. "This is not our vision of what the North Woods should be for the people of Maine. This is the biggest undeveloped area east of the Mississippi and its specialness comes from its being undeveloped,'' said Cathy Johnson, of the Natural Resources Council of Maine. Plum Creek Lumber Co., which announced the project in December, filed its plan with Maine's wilderness zoning agency on Tuesday. The Seattle-based company said the project has drawn broad support because it balances conservation and economic development in a part of Maine where job opportunities have lagged. "Over the past several months, we have met with more than 25 interest groups and numerous members of the community to discuss our plan,'' said Jim Lehner, Plum Creek's general manager for the Northeast. "During this process, we have listened to the feedback we received and, in many cases, we have adjusted our plans based on that feedback.'' Plum Creek said the project involves a total of 426,000 acres, of which about 10,000 are slated for development. About 4,500 acres would be set aside for camp lots, along with 3,500 acres for two "nature-based'' resorts. Land also is earmarked for economic development and low-income housing in Greenville, the tourist town that serves as the main springboard to the North Woods. Most of the remaining 416,000 acres would remain working forest under a 30-year management plan that would allow Plum Creek to continue logging operations but preclude further development. As conservation incentives, the deal includes permanent hiking and snowmobile trail rights for the state and shorefront conservation status for 180 miles of shoreland, including 55 undeveloped, "pristine'' ponds. The land use commission's review process is expected to take at least a year. By late spring or early summer the commission hopes to hold a series of public workshops in the Moosehead Lake region to provide information about the project, said Aga Pinette, a land use planner for the commission. Although the Natural Resources Council has yet to take a stance on the project, size and location remain its key concerns, said Johnson, who suggested that development be sited closer to population centers. "I'm afraid that this is really a turning point for the North Woods. We have another half dozen landowners that are watching this very carefully. If Plum Creek is allowed to do this on 400,000 acres, we could get 20 more of these things all across the North Woods.'' Source
Dear ladies and gentlemen,I am very behind here and I don't have time to write much due to "taming the paper tiger" in the other room.Plum Creek is selling beaucoup land out here too. I don't know about the other western states but I do know first hand (Up close and personal.) about some of this real estate in my state.I have to dash... later... thank you.Sincerely,Catherine
Interesting update Scott. Win-win for all?
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It seems to me two destination resorts would bring employment to an area that desperately needs it. I spent almost four years working in those woods between Brassua and Moosehead Lakes. It seems like a good place for that kind of development to me. There certainly is a strong demand for camp lots in that part of the state. Done right what would the problem be? Again it would be a big boost to the local economy.