Burnt Jacket’s Future and the Billionaire Rumor
June 12, 2025
By Emily Patrick
In our October 31, 2024 Edition of the Moosehead Lakeshore Journal, we broke the story of the Burnt Jacket Mountain sale and the closure of its popular hiking trails, publishing a Letter to the Editor written by local author and trail enthusiast, Chris Keene.
Chris wrote, “A large landowner on Burnt Jacket Mountain…is taking steps to close all three trails on the mountain. That means the Blue Trail, the Green Trail, and the Red Trail will be closed down permanently.” He continued, “To have an entire trail network wiped off the face of the earth would be a mighty blow, not just for hikers, but for regional businesses.” These trails, though crossing through private property, were open to the public for at least 20 years prior to the recent sale, as the recovered logbooks prove.
We followed up on the story in our November 14 2024 Edition after obtaining a building permit from LUPC outlining the new owner’s plans for the parcel. Here’s an excerpt: “A building permit for a portion of the property was submitted by Sevee & Maher Engineers out of Cumberland, Maine, on behalf of Burnt Jacket Holding I, LLC for a ‘proposed barn off Burnt Jacket Road in Beaver Cove.’ The project summary for permit number 17544 reads as follows: ‘Agricultural barn. Includes Tractor and Equipment storage, feed storage, hayloft, greenhouse, and chicken coop.’ Another portion of the project with permit number 17544-A describes a, ‘Year-round dwelling with attached garage, detached garage, driveway, and one shed. Install well, septic system, and utility lines.’ Both appear to have been approved by LUPC representative Billie J. Theriault on August 22, 2024.
Recently, the Moosehead Lakeshore Journal reached out to the Natural Resources Council of Maine for comment, and NRCM’s Staff Scientist and Woods, Waters, & Wildlife Director Luke Frankel poignantly shared, “The loss of Maine’s longstanding tradition of public access to private land is one of the greatest threats facing the North Woods. This case at Burnt Jacket Mountain is a potent example of what we’ve been hearing from other parts of the state.
Changes in landownership and a rise in development pressure since the pandemic have changed the landscape of the Unorganized Territories. Our land trusts, outdoor recreation clubs, and other local community-based organizations play a critically important role building strong relationships with landowners to solidify the trust that is at the core of Maine’s tradition of public access. We also need to begin a statewide conversation about this emerging threat to identify solutions and pathways for ensuring equitable public access is a value held by everyone.”
Though the story of Burnt Jacket Mountain has caused quite a stir and exemplifies a statewide issue, six months later, we still don’t have answers, and not for lack of trying. Recently, however, a new pending project on the parcel has raised some eyebrows, and whispers of the true identity of the landowner have narrowed down the list of possibilities as the Journal has uncovered new clues.
The new Burnt Jacket project, which is still awaiting permit approval from LUPC at the time of publication, is for a “…proposed driveway…4059’ long and 16’ wide with a minimum of 2’ wide shoulders on both sides; it is located entirely on private property…Construction is scheduled to be completed in 2025.” The permit application says the driveway will be used for “residential and land management” uses.
Perhaps more interesting than a pending driveway permit, one name has risen to the top of the list of rumored buyers. Though it remains speculatory, the Moosehead Lakeshore Journal has uncovered evidence that seems to point to billionaire tech CEO Mark Zuckerberg, one of the property’s rumored buyers.
Though, much to my chagrin, it seems anyone and everyone involved in the Burnt Jacket project has signed a non-disclosure agreement, I found that Zuckerberg very publicly keeps his business holdings in the State of Delaware. While searching through the State of Delaware’s website, I came upon an interesting clue: Burnt Jacket Holdings I & II both list Incorporating Services out of Delaware as the Registered Agent.
While this in and of itself doesn’t mean very much, I decided to search META, which we know is owned by Mark Zuckerberg, in the same database. In my search, I found that at least three of the dozens of META companies associated with Mark Zuckerberg actually list the very same Incorporating Services as the Registered Agent. While this information doesn’t prove Zuckerberg is the Burnt Jacket mystery buyer, it does little to dismiss it. Of all the holding companies in the world, the same Incorporating Services serves as the registered agent of Burnt Jacket Holdings and several companies we know are associated with Mark Zuckerberg. Coincidence? You decide.
It may seem unbelievable to some that Mark Zuckerberg might soon be our neighbor here in the Moosehead Lake Region, but it really isn’t that far of a stretch. One of Zuckerberg’s former associates owns property in the Moosehead Region, Zuckerberg has been known to vacation in Maine, and Mark Zuckerberg held a highly publicized meeting in 2017 with members of the Katahdin Region in Millinocket to discuss the future of the area. As many know, the Katahdin Region is right in Burnt Jacket’s backyard, at least as the crow flies.