BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 9, 2025
Rumors of a super-wealthy landowner are circulating after a newcomer closed a prime piece of hiking land along Moosehead Lake and began building a large waterfront home. Joe Babbitt, the Select Board chair in Beaver Cove, said, “There’s all kinds of gossip out there, saying it’s everyone from the sultan of Egypt to ‘insert your billionaire of choice here.’” The owner bought four parcels totaling more than 1,400 acres for $8.1 million in 2022 through two holding companies in a transaction that included Burnt Jacket Mountain and its trail system, which was closed to the public last October, along with 12,000 feet of lake frontage. The sudden decision to close the land to the public has saddened residents and caused concern for local businesspeople. Carla Ritchie, president of the Moosehead Regional Land Trust, wants to know the landowner’s identity so her organization can work with them to preserve public access to the mountain and its trails.