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On January 16 the Land for Maine’s Future Board (LMFB) took a giant step toward fulfilling the intent of Maine’s voters as it selected six working waterfront projects along the Maine coast. Mainers approved a 12 million dollar bond that included 2 million dollars dedicated to preserving working waterfront properties that are strategically and economically significant to Maine’s fisheries now and in the future. According to George Lapointe, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) and the Chair of the Land for Maine’s Future Board, “Maine’s working waterfronts are essential to the future of our fishing industry and to the character of the State. With only 25 miles of working waterfront left on the 5,300-mile Maine coast, and more being sold daily, the Working Waterfront Program is an important new tool in our efforts to secure the state’s more than 39,000 fishing and related jobs—and the $740 million in state revenue those jobs provide. With today’s action, we are putting this tool to work.”
With well over a hundred inquiries into the program, ranging up and down the entire coast, six applicants completed the process and have now been given preliminary approval by the Land for Maine’s Future Board. The Board has allocated just over $1,290,000 to preserve commercial fishing properties valued at over $4 million. The projects include: • The Town of Machiasport for the purchase of a right of way to secure clamming access to one of the region’s best clamming flats. • The Spruce Head Fishermen’s Co-op in South Thomaston to complete the purchase of the property that they have leased for over 30 years. • The Boothbay Regional Land Trust to complete the purchase of a property that will now be assured to continue providing critical access to local fishermen. • The Holbrook’s Community Foundation and the Trust for Public Land to complete the Foundation’s purchase of Holbrook’s Wharf on Cundy’s Harbor in Harpswell, an historically active pier in the midst of a working harbor with potential for future growth. • The Town of Isle au Haut to protect and renovate their Town Pier and to ensure its viability and availability to the year-round fishermen who are at the core of the permanent community there. • Perio Point Shellfish in the town of Beals to permanently protect this important fishing facility that supports a broad array of fishing activities in the Jonesport-Beals area. The funding reserved for these projects will assure that they will retain their capacity to support commercial fisheries forever. Commenting on the effort to date, Tim Glidden, LMF director said, “Addressing the threats facing our working waterfront access has required a unique partnering of state agencies - the State Planning office and the DMR, non-profits—Coastal Enterprise and the Island Institute—and the fishing industry.” With limited funds still available, Glidden said that the partnership will be working to reopen the application process for a limited number of new projects. According to DMR program leader, Cindy Smith, “All our partners are looking forward to working with folks who couldn’t fit into our timeline the first time around as well as new projects. The high number of inquiries during the first round is clear evidence of the need for this program and the support it provides to a vital part of Maine’s economy.” The Maine Department of Marine Resources and the Land for Maine’s Future Program run the new Working Waterfront Access Pilot Program. This program provides matching grants to help secure coastal waterfront land to support commercial fisheries businesses and activities. Coastal Enterprises, Inc. and the Island Institute serve as program managers under contract with DMR. The organizations’ role as program managers is to assist and advise grant applicants to assure that their proposals are complete and meet minimum program requirements. Grants are available to protect working waterfront property through a variety of means. These grants will require restrictions on any future development of the land that would preclude its use for commercial fishing and closely related activities. These restrictions may be a Working Waterfront Covenant, or other deed restrictions made in agreement with the DMR. Interested parties can get more information about the Working Waterfront Access Pilot Program by calling 207-772-5356 or at WWW.WWAPP.ORG. |
