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Commercial Fisheries News
Volume 34 Number 7
March 2007
Wharf, clam flat access secured by Maine awards
PORTLAND, ME – After years of effort to build support among the citizens of Maine, the state’s Working Waterfront Access Pilot Program is truly up and running.
The aim of the program is to provide matching grants to enable towns, co-ops, companies, and individuals to purchase strategic waterfront property and/or covenants in order to preserve use by or access to commercial fishing operations.
On Jan. 16, Land for Maine’s Future, a program of the Maine State Planning Office, announced that its board of directors had completed the process of sorting through more than 100 inquiries and given preliminary approval to provide partial funding to the following applicants for six projects:
The town of Machiasport for the purchase of a right-of-way to secure shellfishermen’s access to Larabee Cove clam flats, which are among the region’s best – $6,666;
The Spruce Head Fishermen’s Coop in South Thomaston to complete the purchase of property the co-op has leased for more than 30 years – $475,000;
The Boothbay Regional Land Trust to complete the purchase of Roberts Wharf on Barter’s Island to ensure that local fishermen will continue to have critical waterfront access – $34,600 pending successful negotiations with fishermen;
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 – $300,000;
The town of Isle au Haut to protect and renovate its Town Pier “to ensure its viability and availability to the year-round commercial fishermen who are the core of the permanent community there” – $104,000; and
Carver Inc. at Perio Point in Beals “to permanently protect this important fishing facility that supports a broad array of fishing activities in the Jonesport-Beals area” – $261,250.
Covenant
Every entity that receives money through the program must agree to accept restrictions on any future use or development of the land that would preclude its use for commercial fishing and/or closely related activities.
“In exchange for the funds, they have to have a working waterfront covenant attached to the deed and held by the state,” said Cindy Smith, Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) program leader. “It requires commercial fishing be the top priority use for the property forever.”
Smith pointed out that, in some cases, the pilot program funding is being spent specifically to purchase the covenant – the right to restrict the use of the property to commercial fishing-related activities – rather than property.
The Working Waterfront Access Pilot Program got its start in 2005 when Maine voters approved a $12 million bond that included $2 million specifically to secure working waterfront access.
The DMR and Land for Maine’s Future run the program with the assistance of the Island Institute and Coastal Enterprise Inc., which have been hired by the DMR to sort through inquiries and help applicants draw up formal proposals.
Of the $2 million, about $200,000 is being used to pay for the subcontracting team. The initial program awards account for another $1.29 million and, according to Smith, another portion of the money has been set aside for “due diligence” checking to make sure those initial awards are properly used.
That leaves about $500,000, which will be distributed through the pilot program in a second round of awards.
“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,” Smith said. “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.”
Future funding
During a recent meeting, the Working Waterfront Coalition, a network of fishing associations, local and state agencies, and nonprofit economic development groups, began discussions about pursuing additional state funding for the program.
“Everybody agrees there’s a lot of need,” said Maine Lobstermen’s Association Executive Director and coalition member Patrice McCarron. “The program got money to some deserving projects and we’d like to see it continue.”
A bond bill, LD 357, has been introduced in the Maine Legislature that would make up to $40 million available for distribution through Land for Maine’s Future for acquisition of land and interest in land for conservation, water access, outdoor recreation, wildlife and fish habitat, and farmland preservation.
Lorelei Stevens
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