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Maine Forests: This is an important moment for Maine and those who love her forests. The Maine Woods is the largest undeveloped area east of the Mississippi River, yet it is within a day’s drive of major metropolitan areas such as Boston and New York. Over the coming years, the pressures both to enjoy and to develop this region will be enormous.
Struggling Economies: All is not well in the North Woods. Communities like Rockwood and Greenville are struggling. Wood can now be cut, milled, and processed without the thousands of people who once earned a good living from the forests. People are searching for new sources of income to provide jobs and secure essential local services like schools and hospitals.
The Nation’s Largest Private Landowner: The nation’s largest private landowner, Plum Creek, has proposed the largest rezoning and development project in Maine’s history, requesting permission to rezone over 400,000 acres now in “forest” zoning. Owning approximately one acre out of every 243 acres in the continental US, Plum Creek’s power to manage its lands for both timber and real estate development is unprecedented.*
A Solution: The Moosehead Region Futures Committee sees this combination of events as an opportunity to create a promising future for this region, its way of life and its valuable resources. With your help, we can. Thank You!
* At the end of 2005, Plum Creek owned approximately 8,233,000 acres. The area of the continental US is approximately 1,997,000,000 acres. Plum Creek owned approximately 1 out of every 243 acres.
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