BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 23, 2021
A proposed $75 million ski resort overlooking Moosehead Lake could bring development and numerous visitors to Piscataquis County. But a new resort at the site of the deteriorating Big Squaw Mountain Ski Resort would have challenges. Ski industry experts are mixed on whether a surge in skiing during the COVID-19 pandemic will continue afterward. And climate change looms, potentially decreasing snowfall and shortening the ski season. The resort’s ability to attract visitors will depend on whether it can differentiate itself from its competitors, building on the Moosehead Lake region’s natural beauty. A four-season resort could bring hundreds of new jobs to Piscataquis County, the least populous and among the state’s poorest counties.