Winnipesaukee "North" (Augusta, Oxford: hotels, buy, camps)

[Frostbite]

Havn't really been following The Plum Creek issue too closely, Never really thought it would get through. I just read that Plum Creek has got the go-ahead. What can we expect? Lake Winnipesaukee North? Should I buy a Jet Ski?

[mainebrokerman]

Originally Posted by Frostbite

Havn't really been following The Plum Creek issue too closely, Never really thought it would get through. I just read that Plum Creek has got the go-ahead. What can we expect? Lake Winnipesaukee North? Should I buy a Jet Ski?

sure-buy a jetski (in maine) and help out our economy!

thats's good to hear-they finally got the go-ahead!!! maine needs the jobs and people!

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Rest easy Frostbite. Plum Creek's plan was not approved. Several years ago Plum Creek applied to build two small resorts and sell some lots on the land they own. The rate of development would have been one lot per township for the next 30 years. As a gesture of good will, the company offered to put over 40,000 acres into a conservation easement. One potential camp per year per township was way too much for the environmental industry. Their long term goal is no human use.

Plum Creek was not successful. LURC held hearings in many locations. Children were bussed in from Connecticut and Long Island to read their 8th Grade science project papers. This prevented many Mainers from presenting their messages. After well over 5 years, LURC imposed their vision on Plum Creek. The company had no choice. LURC extorted over 400,000 acres from Plum Creek where nobody will ever build a camp. This dashes the hopes and dreams of generations of young Mainers. It tears the heart out of the economic base of the region. Plum Creek learned the bitter lessons that Bowater, Mead, Georgia Pacific, International Paper, St. Regis, Champion, Diamond, Noranda, Nexfor, Great Northern, Nekoosa Edwards, Scott, SAPPI, Fraser, EB Eddy, Chinet, Eastern and Oxford learned. Those are the paper companies that come to mind right away. Every single one is gone or out of business. There are many more. They were not welcome to do business in Maine.

The plan in force is LURC's plan, not Plum Creek's. Anybody complaining about the present situation is one who would see no human use in the heart of Maine. I have their map on my wall.

Your rural cleansing will not work.
We are not going away.
You cannot convince us.
You cannot intimidate us.
You can try to kill us if you think you can.
But remember; We'll shoot back.
We are not backing up another inch.
And there are a lot of us.

[dmyankee]

Originally Posted by Frostbite

Havn't really been following The Plum Creek issue too closely, Never really thought it would get through. I just read that Plum Creek has got the go-ahead. What can we expect? Lake Winnipesaukee North? Should I buy a Jet Ski?

Far from it! At one time, Moosehead Lake was surrounded by sporting camps. Grand Hotels encircled the Lake proper. The Kineo Hotel boasted dining for 600 patrons. Personal watercraft plied the water along side yachts and steamships, booming logs across the lake for the mills down country.

Throughout the region, loggers would do the work of tree harvesting, using oxen and steam powered Lombards to twitch the logs to the rivers and lake. The river drivers often risking life and limb, would get the logs down stream. These men were supplied by large company farms operating deep in the woods. Pittston Farm is the last remaining farm and is open to visitors.

This was the hub of the regional sporting industry. Float planes would ferry hunters and fishermen into remote areas otherwise accessible only by foot or canoe.The ice out dates for Moosehead were posted in Grand Central Station. Tourists and Sportsmen would arrive by rail and coach, often staying for months at a time.

The Moosehead Yacht Club is a shell of its former self and the hotels are long gone. Try running a sporting camp these days? It ain't pretty. The Steamship Katahdin remains as one of the few examples of an era of prosperity and jobs.

Greenville is the destination here. Always was, always will be. We are a economically viable even in this economy, but we lack the influx of young couples and entrepreneurs that make all communities prosper. There is a lot of that going on all over Maine right now. There are no more mills and we are down to one grocery store. We need development.

This is God's Country. There is so much to see and do here, you could spend an entire year here and never see it all. We are the jumping off point for a lot of natural beauty and outdoor activities. I can take you out to breathtaking views and natural wonders that the guide books won't show you. If you follow your Delorme, you can find all kinds of hikes, waterfalls, caves. We have Gulf Hagas, the Grand Canyon of the East. We have the largest moose population, concentrated in one area, in the lower 48. Mount Kineo was a prime source of tool making flint for most of the native tribes in the Northeast.

Yup. Bring the Jet Ski! Who knows, you might want to stay a while.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Our predecessors had trade routes that went much further than some suppose. Kineo flint has been found in Oklahoma.

[JimmyMac65]

Jet ski's are nice But I' go with a nice 24 boat.

I work on Lake Winni all the time and it gets crazy out there in the summer

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Moosehead can kick up in a hurry. I rescued a couple who had paddled their Kayaks across from Rockwood to Kineo in the morning and the lake was like a mirror. After their picnics on the observation tower they came down to their kayaks and headed back into a stiff breeze out of the northwest. I saw them when they were about 1/3 of the way across. We reeled in and I went up behind them. The man was nervous and the lady was just about hysterical. I had my wife hold the bow of her kayak and she took my hands and stood up. I got her into our boat and slid her kayak up over our gunwale. I then did the same with the man. Never found out their relationship, but she sure was happy to get off the water. As we were talking the Warden Service showed up with an ambulance close behind. I asked what the emergency was and they said there were two kayakers in distress near Kineo. I introduced the wardens to the kayakers. Smiles and handshakes all around.

[Maineah]

We've been out in a Moosehead "gale" once or twice. Not fun trying to get into shore even in a power boat when the waves kick up in that lake. We got pretty wet before getting out of the wind. dmyankee is right about the way it used to be in that area. You'd never know it now which goes to show you that even highly developed areas can change over time. Look at the old pictures of towns back then. Barely a tree standing for miles. Now look at the same places. Trees everywhere.

[AustinB]

Originally Posted by Maineah

We've been out in a Moosehead "gale" once or twice. Not fun trying to get into shore even in a power boat when the waves kick up in that lake. We got pretty wet before getting out of the wind. dmyankee is right about the way it used to be in that area. You'd never know it now which goes to show you that even highly developed areas can change over time. Look at the old pictures of towns back then. Barely a tree standing for miles. Now look at the same places. Trees everywhere.

I love the pictures of our area. Of course, they used to burn a lot of wood, and it was local wood.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

The hopes and dreams of Maine people continue to be crushed. We struck out today. We were hit buy three huge press releases of bad news:

(1) Maine has had a dark side since September 23, 1971, a day that shall live in infamy. Take a look at the company that is doing this to Washington County families. Here is what you are dealing with. Just remember the words; "No human use".

http://www.lymetimber.com/PDF/adirondacks.pdf (broken link)

(2) Then comes this press release from LURC. I have not seen anything from Baldacci's office, but the CLUP is a done deal. No vote, no appeal and no rights. It is edict by unelected functionaries. It is tyranny

"Dear CLUP Interested Party,

Following 5 years of intensive work, the Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC) is pleased to present you with the 2010 Comprehensive Land Use Plan for Areas within the Jurisdiction of the Maine Land Use Regulation Commission. The Plan was approved by Governor John Baldacci on March 16th, 2010.

The Plan can be found on the Commission’s website at: J:\PLANNING\CLUP\2007CLUP\Public_Workshops\Adminis trative_PublicWorkshop\Website\WebsiteRedo_2
Electronic copies of the Plan will be available on CD in the LURC Augusta and regional offices by the end of next week. Due to budgetary constraints, the Commission is trying to significantly limit the number of paper copies that will be available.

Thank you to all who participated in shaping this Plan throughout the revision process. We are grateful for your input and involvement. If you have any questions email LURC@maine.gov (indicate CLUP in the subject line of your email) or call Sarah Giffen at (207) 287-4936."

(3) Then Maine's government announced Baldacci's "Keeping Maine's Forests". There have been rumors about this for over a year, but it has all been done in secret. I have a map of Baldacci's "vision".