Statement on Plum Creek by Kevin Carley, Executive Director of Maine Audubon

FALMOUTH, Maine, June 17, 2007—As you may know, Maine Audubon is Maine’s oldest and largest conservation organization. Our roots go back more than 160 years, to the founding of the Portland Natural History Society in 1843. To give you some perspective, 1843 was the year Henry David Thoreau took his first trip to the Maine woods.

I mention that so you can consider the long history that is the foundation of Maine Audubon’s work today for wildlife conservation.

We take the long view, and we make our decisions based on science, and after considerable analysis.

Today, we are announcing our decision to file as an intervenor opposing Plum Creek’s proposal to rezone and develop 408,000 acres around Moosehead Lake.

We are opposing this latest plan because it still does not ensure that the region’s wildlife will remain a vital part of the Moosehead experience.

It’s true that with this plan Plum Creek has removed some of the development it had originally proposed in remote, sensitive wildlife habitats.

That’s good. It’s obviously important. Yet, it’s still not enough to prevent the plan from threatening wildlife to a degree that is unacceptable.

The fact is, this plan actually expands the total number of housing units that Plum Creek last proposed. It also expands the amount of land zoned for development.

The current proposal for the Moose Mountain resort alone now includes 800 “accommodation units” spreading out across almost 4,500 acres. And the proposed Lily Bay resort includes 250 accommodation units built across nearly 800 acres.

For wildlife, of course, it is a far better option to cluster development—not spread it out over miles of wildlife habitat.

But this plan calls for almost twice the number of units that currently exist in Greenville—more than 2,300 units across 20,500 acres.

Effects on Wildlife

To understand what Maine Audubon means when we say the plan will harm wildlife and important habitat, it’s useful to consider some effects on wildlife that occur when habitat is replaced by multiple different subdivisions.

• Wildlife directly loses the use of thousands of acres of habitat.

• Animals lose the use of the shoreland areas they use as travel corridors to move from place to place.

• More animals die when traffic increases on new and existing roads.

• Roads also break into smaller pieces the large areas of habitat that many species need to maintain healthy populations.

• Chemical and silt run-off pollutes and otherwise damages water quality. Silt fills in the crevices in streams and ponds that fish need to spawn successfully.

• Noise, lights, and other human interference drives wildlife away.

Maine Audubon’s staff scientists are still studying the more than 1,000 pages of Plum Creek’s concept plan. Examples of their concerns are included in the press packages that are here today.

What they know for certain now is that—as is—this plan will permanently degrade and even destroy high-value habitat for the threatened Canada lynx and for breeding songbirds. It is also clear that the plan does not ensure protection for new bald eagle or common loon nests.

And the development proposed could so badly degrade the water quality of Moosehead streams and lakes that breeding would decrease among signature Moosehead species like the native brook trout.

From a wildlife-conservation perspective, accepting this plan as is would be undeniably irresponsible. Wildlife is the emblem of Moosehead’s past—and the heart of its future.

Wildlife is essential to the people of Moosehead. Healthy wildlife populations are critical for supporting healthy ecosystems and economies in the Moosehead region.

There is a way to conserve the wildlife of the Moosehead region. There is a way to develop sustainable growth of the region’s wildlife economy and create a stronger infrastructure for its future.

There is a way for Plum Creek to do this right.

This plan is not the way.

MAINE AUDUBON works to conserve Maine’s wildlife and wildlife habitat by engaging people of all ages in education, conservation and action. For more than 160 years, Maine Audubon has been connecting people with nature and leading science-based conservation in major projects across the state. An independent affiliate of Audubon’s national organization, Maine Audubon has seven local chapters, 11 nature centers and sanctuaries, and 11,000

members and supporters.

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