Working Waterfront

Coastal cleanup returns

The Maine Coastal Program, a division of the Department of Marine Resources (DMR), has opened registration for the annual Coastal Cleanup, a volunteer-driven initiative designed to clean debris from shores and waterfront communities. Part of the International Coastal Cleanup, Maine’s Coastal Cleanup will run from Sept. 7-21. Anyone who wishes… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Boothbay Maritime Foundation plans pier

The Boothbay Region Maritime Foundation has recently signed a contract with Fuller Marine to build a new pier and seawall at Carter’s Wharf, 87 Atlantic Avenue, the former site of the Sea Pier. The seawall will be constructed from granite and will be raised to meet current FEMA flood zone… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

State awards $21.2 million in resilience grants

Sixty-eight Maine working waterfronts will receive $21.2 million in resilience grants from the state to support recovery and rebuilding from damage caused by devastating storms this past winter. The Working Waterfront Resilience Grant Program is funded with $60 million in state funding authorized through the supplemental budget in May— the… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Maine photographer dives into Gulf of Maine

Brian Skerry has traveled the globe for decades taking photos and videos of ocean ecosystems off all seven continents. His latest project took him to the waters of his own backyard—the Gulf of Maine—where as a child he discovered his love for the sea. The result is a three-part series… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Bill would offer tax credits to working waterfronts

U.S. Sens. Angus King, I-Maine, and Bill Cassidy, R-La. are introducing legislation to offer a disaster mitigation tax credit to working waterfronts located on coasts and navigable waterways. The Working Waterfronts Disaster Mitigation Tax Credit Act would provide working waterfronts with a 30% tax credit on up to $1 million… SEE MORE

The January storms devastated the Rockland waterfront. PHOTO: JACK SULLIVAN

Working Waterfront

Planning for a stormy future pays off

Some local leaders are crediting municipal sea level rise and climate resilence committees for giving their communities a head start in the race for millions of federal, state, and private dollars that are now heading for Maine’s coast. “It’s really important to have this town infrastructure in place,” said Bill… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Saving our safe passage sentinels

It took an act of Congress and some well-placed support from then Sen. George Mitchell to seal the deal, resulting in the transfer of 27 lighthouses into caring hands. SEE MORE

Philip Frey’s “Ready for Lessons” (2023), oil on linen, 30 by 40 inches. PHOTO: COURTESY PHILIP FREY

Working Waterfront

Philip Frey on Hancock Point

The result is a paean to summer, to the quiet that follows a day of waterfront activities. SEE MORE

Fishermen return to the dock in Belfast after catching menhaden, also known as pogies. FILE PHOTO: TOM GROENING

Working Waterfront

Small fish, big role

In 2021, Maine’s commercial harvesters landed 22.1 million pounds valued at $9.5 million (Maine Department of Marine Resources data). SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Sweat, tears, the sea (and rain)

The name of my column, Salt Water Cure, comes from an Isak Dinesen (real name, Karen Blixen) quote: “The cure for anything is saltwater—sweat, tears, or the sea.” I am stuck in a bit of an eddy of medical tests and waiting. Hopefully it will all be fine, but so… SEE MORE