Opponents Of Plum Creek Plan Cite Economic Woes

BANGOR, Maine (AP) — Conservation and environmental groups opposed to Plum Creek Timber Co.'s massive development plan for the Moosehead Lake region raised a new argument as regulators began final deliberations Tuesday: The economic meltdown has eroded the economic underpinnings for the proposal.

Two of the primary opponents, Maine Audubon and the Natural Resources Council of Maine, contend there's no way to justify such a development in the current economic climate.

There are upward of 125 home lots in the Moosehead region on the market, and Maine's real estate market has tanked, said Brownie Carson of the Natural Resources Council of Maine.

"This makes no sense at all," he said.

The Maine Land Use Regulation Commission heard final arguments from organizations supporting and opposing the development on Tuesday. The planning agency for Maine's unorganized territories is expected to render a final decision this summer.

All told, Seattle-based Plum Creek is proposing 975 house lots, two resorts and protection of 430,000 acres in the Moosehead Lake region.