State Grant for Working Waterfront Rebuilding and Resiliency Awarded
Boothbay Harbor Waterfront Preservation (BBHWP) has received one of the Working Waterfront Resiliency grants awarded by the Department of Marine Resources (DMR), the Department of Transportation (DOT), and the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future (GOPIF). This program was created and approved by the state legislature to provide funding to the owners of critical working waterfront infrastructure that provides significant and compelling community benefits. Specifically, these funds were approved for the purpose of rebuilding wharves and piers of importance to Maine’s commercial fishing and aquaculture industries that were damaged in the winter 2024 storms, with the intent of improving their resilience to the impacts of climate change. As stated in the Bangor Daily News, “The properties, spread out along the coast from Kennebunk to Lubec, are considered important pieces of the working waterfront infrastructure.”
The program, which required a 1 to 1 match, awarded BBHWP $86,500 to support raising the boathouse 3’3” above the existing pier deck on the south pier. The south pier is dedicated to the fishing industry and currently serves as the buying station for Luke’s Lobster. When the work is completed, the historic boathouse, which went under water during both surges, will be able to house a workshop and vital equipment and supplies for fishermen who maintain and service their boats while docked at the pier.
The program awarded $21 million to nearly 70 programs in the state. Boothbay Harbor Waterfront Preservation was the only entity in our area to receive a grant. “This funding is so important to our mission to provide a fully equipped dock for our fishing industry,“ stated John O’Connell, BBHWP Board President. “This grant from the state underscores our recognition of the critical need to do everything we can to support working waterfront in our community.”
DREAM
From the beginning, our goal was always to create a beautiful space that celebrated both the region and the working waterfront. We have worked hard to create a design that would meet all the criteria and satisfy local guidelines.
BUILD
After a year-long funding campaign to buy the old Cap n’ Fish motel, we were able to donate furniture to the community, remove the old asbestos and finally clear the site. With the buildings down, we had a much better idea of how the finished park might look.
SUSTAIN
Now the work is underway, we want to ensure that the park is here to enjoy for generations to come. Add your brick to our tree lined walkway to honor or memorialize someone special. We hope the completed park will bring joy to many and will provide a sanctuary for the whole family.
Working waterfront
The Maine Coast Fisherman’s Association is in support of BBHWFP’s Working Waterfront and Public access to the water on the east side of Boothbay Harbor.
“The Boothbay Harbor Waterfront Park is an exciting project that will allow commercial fishermen access while also creating an opportunity for people to see activity on the waterfront. While combining these efforts is not easy, its impact can be significant.
While saving the working waterfront is a piece of our goal (and that of all fishermen) what we really want to see is for working waterfronts to expand and thrive in Maine’s coastal communities - and it seems as though this is an opportunity to do just that.”
“We’re happy to see efforts to preserve the working waterfront. The park allows local lobstermen to use the waterfront as a place to store and repair traps and utilize that waterfront space.
The park will be aesthetically beneficial for local businesses by creating more public dockage. It will be a major attraction for the entire east side of the harbor”
—The Page Family - ATLANTIC EDGE LOBSTER.
PAVE THE WAY!
A brick lined walkway is planned for the park. You are invited to Buy-A-Brick, personalized and engraved to commemorate a special occasion, to honor or memorialize a special person, or even to feature your business or organization.
Funds generated by the Buy-A-Brick opportunity will benefit the creation of the Eastside Waterfront Park. We all look forward to having a free place to sit and relax while we watch the events and activities on our harbor.
Think about buying a brick to help pave the way!
Ghost Traps
Boothbay Harbor Waterfront Preservation is honored to be collaborating with non-profit OceansWide in cleaning up Boothbay Harbor and surrounding waters. The East Side Waterfront Park is providing the staging area for the entire OceansWide cleanup project.
Since April, 2021, OceansWide has retrieved over 1,300 ghost traps from our waters and anticipates substantially more in coming years. Thus far, 150 usable ghost traps have been reclaimed by local fishermen, with 60 unclaimed salvageable traps gifted to new fishermen.
The project deploys divers to tag and retrieve ghost gear. Captain Devyn Campbell, a young local fisherman and a Boothbay Harbor Waterfront Preservation Board member of several years, is integrally involved in this important effort.
Please enjoy this informative, beautifully produced video from Bangor Daily News. To learn more about the work of OceansWide please visit https://www.oceanswide.org
