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GREENVILLE - A show of support by the local Chamber's board of directors for Plum Creek Timber Co.'s concept plan for the Moosehead Lake region has created a stir in the community. The board of directors voted a week ago to endorse the Seattle-based company's new concept plan to develop two resorts and about 1,000 house lots and to conserve more than 400,000 acres in the region. The Chamber's board had taken no position on the company's original concept plan but felt the new document largely addressed most of the local concerns, according to Bob Hamer, the Chamber's executive director. The recent vote raised the ire of some Chamber members, who believed directors should have remained neutral. An e-mail sent to directors Sunday that listed the names of 26 local business owners suggested the board should have sought comment from its members before a vote was taken, business owner Ruth McLaughlin, said. Hamer said he knew the vote would create dissension in the community, but said the board does not plan to rescind it. "Obviously, the Chamber [board] realized taking a vote on the Plum Creek issue would cause some members to resign, but they also felt that because of our mission statement, which calls for economic development of this region, this was the time to take a stance," Hamer said Thursday. He said the directors wanted people to recognize the importance the plan will have for economic development in the region, especially the conservation which is essential for the long-term predictability for the area. McLaughlin said the intent of the e-mail was to get the board to meet with its members to discuss their concerns before it publicly announced its support of the plan, but no reply was received. "I feel very badly that we weren't given the opportunity to speak with them personally as requested about the contents of the letter [e-mail]," McLaughlin said. It isn't that all the signers are against Plum Creek's plan, she said. In fact, the business owners listed in the e-mail represent a cross-section, some of whom support the plan, others who do not, and still others who remain neutral, she said. But they all agree that members should have been polled first she said. |