Maine State Planning Office and the Maine Department of Marine Resources

MAINE STATE LEGISLATURE The following document is provided by the LAW AND LEGISLATIVE DIGITAL LIBRARY at the Maine State Law and Legislative Reference Library http://legislature.maine.gov/lawlib Reproduced from electronic originals (may include minor formatting differences from printed original) Managing Maine’s Nearshore Coastal Resources Report of the Bay Management Study Prepared by the Maine State Planning Office and the Maine Department of Marine Resources For the Land & Water Resources Council January 2007 Funding for printing of this report was provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, under the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) of 1972, as amended under appropriation #NA06NOS4190188. CZMA is administered in Maine by the State Planning Office’s Maine Coastal Program. Managing Maine's Nearshore Coastal Resources Report of the Bay Management Study To the Joint Standing Committee on Marine Resources in response to Pl2003, c. 660, Part B A Resource of Vital Importance Maine's identity is tied to the ocean. With over 5,000 miles of coastline and nearly two million acres of public sub merged lands, Maine's coastal waters have provided peo ple with bountiful food, transportation, and spiritual in spiration. In 2004, it was estimated that Maine's coastal economy employed 45,685 people and resulted in $1.2 billion dollars in annual wages. Coastal counties and Growth and Change 3·mile stale jurisdiction Our uses of the sea are changing and intensifying. Aqua Examples of user conflicts along Maine' s coast culture has joined traditional fisheries as an economically Activity-based Perspective- significant use. Sea kayaks and other types of recreational Conflicts based Conflicts watercraft have joined fishing boats at town landings. Competition at Some waterfront More second-home buyers and retirees have joined coastal public boat owners oppose communities that, for generations, have been home to ramps, espe- commercial uses families that earn their living on the water. cially between of water such as recreational aquaculture boats and commercial users Lobster gear in New water channels access sites presents chal- often opposed by lenges to boat- local ers and trawlers residents Increase in The siting of recreational nearshore boaters with no energy safety training development creates hazard projects is for other contentious Oyster aquaculture raft, Damariscotta Kayakers at Pretty Marsh Harbor boaters and swimmers With Maine's coastal waters under growing pressure, user conflicts and environmental degrada tion will likely increase. At the same time, there are signs that Maine's current methods of near shore management need improvement. Without embarking on these improvements to manage ment, the health of the marine environment, the livelihoods and recreation that depend on it, and the essence of Maine's character may be at risk. This summary p rovides highlights of the bay management report. The full study report and its append ices can be found at http: //www.maine.gov / dmr / baystudy / baystudy.htm Page 2 The "Nearshore" Are We Managing Effectively Bays, or embayments, are for Present and Future Challenges? relatively shallow, semi enclosed coastal water At the direction of the Maine Legislature, bodies. Maine has many an interagency staff team from the State types and sizes of bays, as well as open coastal areas. Planning Office and the Department of The term "nearshore" is Marine Resources engaged with coastal used in this study to be stakeholders, assessed two local pilot pro more inclusive of both bays and open coastal areas, jects and conducted research over a two and refers to both the year period to examine questions such as: water and land immediately adjacent to + How are nearshore resources currently Public Meeting, Ellsworth the coast. used? What are anticipated trends? + What concerns do Maine's citizens have about coastal resources? + How do federal, state and local entities currently manage near shore resources? + What can Maine learn from other models of innovative manage ment? --4- ~ + What improvements in data and information are needed for effec ..r.-- . ~ . .. tive management? + How can limited state resources finance needed improvements? Jasper Beach, Machias What new resources are needed? A diverse, eight member citizen steering committee provided advice Pilot Projects to staff and the commissioners of state resource-related agencies (the Two community-based Land and Water Resources Council) provided direction and approved groups were each provided the study for submittal to the Legislature. $20,000 and a staff liaison for a year. The F1iends of Taunton Bay compiled data and Key Findings maps about the bay and its uses, and developed man • Coastal management could be • Seven state agencies, six fed agement p1inciples. improved by using a regional eral agencies and coastal towns The Quebec-Labrador scale. Yet, there is currently no all have major roles in near Foundation, Inc. formed the Muscongus Bay Com recognized forum to advance shore management. This can mittee to identify regional regional nearshore manage be confusing to the public (see conce1ns and create maps. ment. diagram on page 4). Lessons learned from these projects helped ad • Supporting regions to discover • Existing coastal programs are vance understanding of and act on their own issues (in working with limited budgets. place-based nearshore accordance with clear state Efforts to improve coastal management in Maine. goals) will permit nearshore management should not divert management to respond to re from existing programs. gional differences rather than be a one-size-fits-all approach. • There is a major gap in near shore data and information. The data that does exist is very difficult to locate and gather. Machias Lodge Lighthouse Taking Steps Towards A New Vision Page 3 "Nearshore Management" In the Future... In this study, the term • Maine's coastal and marine resources are among the most healthy, "nearshore management" productive, and resilient natural systems in the world. refers to a combination of existing and new programs • Effective management and active citizen stewardship achieves a bal and regulations, with a ance between conservation and development that ensures the sus focus on regional coastal tained use and enjoyment of coastal resources by current and future management. generations. The term "bay manage· • Human impacts on coastal ecosystems are ment" was found to be confusing, meaning differ· managed in a holistic way that addresses ent things to different peo· multiple stressors on a complex and pie. This study does not dynamic ecosystem. recommend a new bay·by· bay management structure • Comprehensive, up-to-date data and infor or a division of the coast mation informs public and private manage into management districts. ment decisions. Rather, it recommends a Harvest ing mussels at Pretty suite of changes to the Marsh Harbor State's approach to near· shore management that will better protect the in· tegrity of Maine's near· Study Recommendations shore areas for use by cur· rent and future genera· To realize this vision, Maine's current methods of nearshore management tions. need improvement in four core areas: Move towards regional manage· • enhance information exchange ment of nearshore waters and marine geographic infor Regional nearshore initiatives pro mation systems. vide a method to examine issues at relevant ecosystem and social Improve the state's framework scales, and to engage local stake for nearshore management holders in the management of A strengthened framework for nearshore areas. nearshore management will help The State should encourage and Maine achieve its coastal vision support regional initiatives with: and support regional initiatives. The State should: • limited support (e.g., workshop design and facilitation; data • implement interagency coastal collection and interpretation; strategic planning; Criteria for writing a management plan) • establish a policy-level over Regional Initiatives • funding or sustained support sight committee; for specific projects; and • improve outreach; and To be eligible to receive • encouraging interlocal agree • conduct ongoing evaluation of funding or staff support, ments. nearshore management. a project should: • Suppmt state near· Increase the amount, availability Increase the amount and diver shore management and accessibility of nearshore sity of funding sources goals data and information To support the implementation of • Demonstrate appro· the recommendations, the State ptiate stakeholder In order to address the limitations participation in nearshore data that constrain should: • Demonstrate suffi. efforts to improve coastal manage • maintain current funding for cient capacity to car1y ment, the State should: existing priorities; and out tasks • create and implement a long • secure additional support for • Conduct work on a term coastal marine science enhanced programming (e.g. regional scale plan to identify and acquire create partnerships with NGOs • Use best available data needed data; and to secure new funding sources). and infotmation Page 4 CUR.RENT PROGRAMS AND AUTHORITIES IN MAINE'S BAYS* co Biue shading lndicaces federal ageJ"Jeles, green shading i ndicates state agenCies, yellow shading Indicates munlcip.alltJes. IF&W: man.:~ae populations, habitots, and consult o n impocb of developme nt fo1· coG:sbsl OMR: Fi.shcric.s and ma•·ine seab1rd a ( includ ing Endangered

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