The U.S. Coast Guard is delaying its proposed plan to remove hundreds of buoys from New England waters, following backlash from boaters and lawmakers.
The office of U.S. Sen. Angus King, an independent from Maine, announced on Monday that the Coast Guard has agreed to extend the review process for the proposed buoy removals and that an updated plan, with additional time for public comment, would be released in the fall.
“The Northeast District will review first round comments, assess feedback, and re-advertise with any changes to the current proposal,” Michael D. Emerson, U.S. Coast Guard director of marine transportation operations, wrote in an August 12 letter.
In April, the Coast Guard announced plans to discontinue 350 buoys in an attempt to modernize waterways in the Northeast. The idea was to complement the rising number of vessels that use electronic navigational tools and open up more resources to maintain buoys that reduce vessel risk the most.
But the proposal received pushback from multiple U.S. Senators from New England, including Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, who asked the Coast Guard to slow down its review process since the proposal was “significant and will have a lasting impact.”
“We appreciate the need to modernize, but the Coast Guard and other stakeholders need to maximize navigation safety utilizing all available means — electronic and visual,” the senators wrote in a June 11 letter. “As you are well aware, mishaps continue to show the need for mariners to competently pilot their vessels, and effective coastal piloting relies on GPS, radar, and visual navigational aids, including buoys, beacons, lights, ranges, and lighthouses.”
State Rep. Seth Moulton, a Salem Democrat, also filed a measure last month that would require a comprehensive study of the buoys’ use and reliability before they are removed from the ocean.
There has been plenty of opposition, from residents in various areas of Massachusetts to lobstermen in Maine. Some Vineyard fishermen have also expressed concern over the proposed buoy removals.
“I think it’s one of those things that look good on paper but in reality it’s not a great plan,” Jason Gale, a Vineyard commercial fisherman, said. “Many people understand that modern technology is great, but if it breaks down at an inopportune time, it could be catastrophic.”
Still, Chilmark harbormaster Ryan Rossi said many Vineyard boaters seem unaware of the proposed changes. Rossi doesn’t expect the removal of the buoys to have a “very large impact” for those navigating a vessel around the Island, at least with the initially released plan. Rossi said he’d need to see the new version before he could assess what changes may come for the Island.
The Coast Guard has received thousands of letters regarding the proposal. Earlier this month, the Coast Guard acknowledged an MV Times Freedom of Information Act request for the letters, but it has yet to share them.
“The Northeast District is nearly complete with its comprehensive review of nearly 3,000 public comments and will be updating the Coastal Buoy Proposal with adjustments based on robust public feedback,” Keira Shantry, a Coast Guard Northeast District spokesperson, said on Tuesday. “The updated proposal is expected to be published in September. This input remains a critical part of the Coast Guard’s Aids to Navigation system assessment and decision process.”
Emerson wrote in his letter he expects the updated proposal to be released by this fall, with an eight-week comment period. After another review cycle, the Coast Guard will hold another eight-week comment period about proposed changes. According to Emerson’s letter, the Coast Guard plans to carry out its “coastal buoy modernization initiative” no earlier than 2026.
The Coast Guard also intends to incrementally release plans over the next four years, starting in 2026, to remove a total of over 2,300 buoys in shallower Northeast waters.
We need to save the hooter how else will the derby know where in and out is.
GPS
I’m glad to hear the plan has been delayed, but the real disaster lurks in your last paragraph: 2500 buoys to be decommissioned over time? That’s 9 times the number in the current proposal! Apparently they’re hoping to get out of the business of ocean safety for recreational boaters.
DOGE
As a former cruising sailors to MV, Gerald and I are strongly opposed to the removal of significant buoys ANYWHERE! How shameful that our current administration seems to have no regard for the safety of boaters!
how many stories are there about mariners in distress or finding themselves in the water because their boat sank? And then they hear the buoy and swim to it, clutching it through the night and surviving. Does every ocean going kayaker or small boat have gps ? What happens when the system goes down ? I personally don’t think this administration gives a rat’s ass about the safety of the general public if it interferes with the tax breaks for the people who can afford the multi million dollar yachts. That’s the trade off–