BANGOR DAILY NEWS • February 15, 2022
We’ve seen this dance many times. Developers want to launch a project. Some local residents have concerns that it will change their way of life. Most people agree that some level of development is needed, but a shared definition of what exactly that looks like remains elusive. The Moosehead Lake region is no stranger to this type of conversation. The contentious Plum Creek development plans were formally terminated in 2020. Now, Big Lake Development LLC and its partners have proposed a two-phase redevelopment of the existing but diminished ski resort on Big Moose Mountain. Many local business owners and residents see a revitalized ski resort as a welcome economic driver. But some neighbors have raised concerns. There have to be ways to preserve what people love about “Vacationland” without resigning ourselves to “Stagnationland.” There have to be ways to open the Moosehead area to more people without losing the magic that brings people there in the first place.