Commissioners to meet with Friends of the Mountain on access road

DOVER-FOXCROFT — The Friends of the Mountain will discuss converting the Ski Resort Road leading up Big Moose Mountain to gravel with the Piscataquis County Commissioners.

The item is set to be on the agenda for Tuesday, June 2, County Manager Mike Williams said during a commissioners meeting Tuesday morning.

Three years ago about 2,100 feet of Maple Road in Atkinson Township was changed to gravel with pavement broken up and ditching put in on both sides. 

“But three years ago it was $115,000 for 2,100 feet and you are talking 1.6 miles over the side of the mountain or about seven, seven and a half times as much,” Williams said. The ski area is in Big Moose Township.

The county manager said he has not been up there recently.

In other business, the Land Use Planning Commission has been made aware of a number of illegal marijuana grows in Piscataquis County, County EMA Director Debra Hamlin said.

Maine DEA Special Agent Johnathan Richards has come to the last two LUPC meetings to provide information with Hamlin and a half dozen other county directors joining virtually for Richards’ presentation.

“Piscataquis County is the No. 1 leader in illegal grows and Somerset is No. 2 and Penobscot’s No. 3 so it’s a huge problem just getting out of control so we are hoping we can figure something out,” Hamlin said.

Sangerville is trying to be proactive, she said.

The town is looking at how to regulate marijuana operations.

On Thursday the old flagpoles on the upper level of the courthouse are scheduled to come down, Head of Maintenance Josh York said

“So that should be interesting to watch and I hope it all goes well and gets done in one day,” he said.

Earlier in the month the commissioners approved spending $8,850 to remove the flagpoles. Money for the work is in the maintenance budget.

New flag poles built into the ground were dedicated in 2024.