Perhaps the most notable proposals for the area – and the one that has generated the most media coverage -- is, of course, Plum Creek. Plum Creek is an outside developer that has designs on the Moosehead Lake region where it wants to build an expansive resort and residential center right on the lake. The scale of this project is unprecedented in the state and is ten times bigger than any other subdivision ever proposed in Maine. Being by far the largest land holder in the area since its 1998 and 2004 land purchases, the company has certainly accumulated the acreage needed for such a large scale development plan, and the Plum Creek project, since it was first proposed in 2004, has certainly caught the attention of the locals -- with some mixed results.

Many aspects of the plan have evolved over the last few years. The initial plan called for about 1,000 house lots, two resorts and other enterprises for the Moosehead Lake region. The cry went up in the area as people began to fear for the loss of their pristine surroundings.  In response to this, local people formed The Friends of Moosehead and the Moosehead Region Futures Committee to help watchdog the company and help ensure that development, should it happen, would be done in a manner that fit and complimented the area rather than exploit and spoil it.

Plum Creek has gone back to their drawing table a number of times thus far and revised the proposal with each turn. Items and compromises such as moving back shoreline development to preserve the shores of the lake and ponds, allowing public access, reducing the number of lots and throwing out a 30 year moratorium on further development in favor of an indefinite hold are some of the alterations that have been made to the Plum Creek plan.

Some of the questions facing Greenville are these: Can the B&B’s, grand old hotels, quaint shop fronts and natural beauty of the area continue to be enough to sustain this remote community? Is that the way the locals truly want it, or do they need or want to find a balance between what already exists and what would like to move in. What does that balance look like, and at what cost to the inherent charm of the village? Is Plum Creek something that can benefit the area or will its establishment (should it actually happen) ultimately deface the attractions it would be built to feature? Lastly, is eco-tourism the only way to go in such a remote area, or are there other industries that might find a comfortable home in a place like Greenville?