Coastal Access / Working Waterfront

Coastal Access Project

The Resource Center conducted a survey of waterfront access points in Cobscook Bay. The objective of the project was to provide information needed for long-range planning to protect and acquire coastal access points around the Bay. Funding for the project was provided through a Maine Sea Grant development grant.

Much like the rest of the coast of Maine, the communities around Cobscook Bay have been dependent upon a marine economy. Central to a marine economy is access to the water. Development pressures, change of property ownership and changes in municipal leadership are coming at such a rapid rate that "common knowledge" and traditional practices are being lost in the turmoil. There is also a lack of consensus around the most urgent needs for preserving waterfront access.

We interviewed knowledgeable resource users and town officials in order to identify public and private access points around Cobscook Bay. Once sites were identified we geo-located them using GPS units. The data collected was processed and used to create maps of public access points.

Identification and GPS mapping of Eastport and Lubec sites have been completed.