Maine to Developers: What's Your Carbon Footprint?

In its 16 January 2008 issue, the Christian Science Monitor reported that environmentalists are asking Maine regulators to require developers to consider the effects of climate change in proposed developments.

Boston-based Environment Northeast (ENE) is concerned that a new development by Plum Creek Timber Company, the nation's largest private landowner, will have a substantial carbon footprint. The development on Moosehead Lake, shown here, calls for clearing of 14,000 acres of forestland and constructing 2,300 homes and condominiums.

From ENE's WWW site, Here are the CO2 loads ENE estimated:

• Forest land clearing: between 387,000 and 501,000 metric tons of CO2 over 50 years.
• Transportation: 9,500 metric tons of CO2 each year, equivalent to 1,850 vehicles.
• Building energy: 13,000 metric tons of CO2 per year.

Here is ENE's report:

Download ene_plum_creek_ghg_assessment_0907.pdf

The development, planned for Maine's interior, is accessible only by vehicle, so the driving distances add to the carbon footprint.

Plum Creek disputes the analysis, saying that its plan calls for the 400,000 acres of forestland to be placed in a conservation easement, the second-largest such easement in USA history.

Other states are beginning to factor climate change into land-use decisions, but so far, only California, Massachusetts, and King County (WA) have specifically incorporated climate change analysis into the state environmental review process as it applies to land development.

The final hearing on the Plum Creek development was scheduled for last week.

"Subdivision: a parcel of land where all the trees are cut down and replaced by houses on streets that are named for trees." -- Unknown