Press Release  Healey-Driscoll Administration Announces $8 Million in Grants to Support Massachusetts’ Blue Economy

Chatham — Today, the Healey-Driscoll Administration announced more than $8 million in blue economy grants for 17 projects that will support the economic vitality, tourism, and ecosystem health of Massachusetts’s waterfronts and harbors while helping the state reach its ambitious climate resiliency goals.

The awards include $3.1 million for 10 grants through the Seaport Economic Council, which advances projects that benefit commercial maritime industries, improve access to waterfronts, and mitigate the impacts of climate change; and more than $5 million for seven grants through the Massachusetts Dredging Program, which is administered by the Executive Office of Economic Development and provides construction funding to coastal municipalities for saltwater dredging. Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll announced the awards during today’s meeting of the Seaport Economic Council in Chatham. 

“Massachusetts’ blue economy is one of our most valuable assets, and these grants will help build capacity, invest in resiliency, and expand opportunity in cities and towns up and down our shores,” said Governor Maura Healey. “As we build an economic development plan on behalf of the state, our administration is committed to putting every region and industry on a path toward economic prosperity, including by making investments in the coastal communities that play a critical role in our state’s economic future.” 

“Working waterfronts are the backbone of our maritime economy. We need to ensure our coastal communities can access the resources they need to maintain and improve their harbors for commercial fishing, recreational, and other blue economy uses,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “We are pleased these grants will support projects that will strengthen our maritime economy, promote economic development, and support resilient infrastructure along our waterfronts.”  

“Our coastal communities are important centers of economic activity for our state, drawing thousands of visitors each year and supporting the maritime industries that have been integral to the Massachusetts economy,” said Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao. “By supporting redevelopment, infrastructure improvement, and resiliency efforts in our coastal communities, we are investing in the long-term environmental and economic health of our state.”   

“The Seaport Economic Council and the Dredging Program provide critical funding to shore up our waterfronts and support economic growth along our coasts,” said Undersecretary of Economic Foundations Ashley Stolba, Vice Chair of the Seaport Economic Council. “We are proud to work with Massachusetts’ 78 coastal communities to move key blue economy projects forward and ensure our working waterfronts have the resources they need to thrive.”  

"On the Cape and Islands, our waterfront and harbors are essential to the livelihoods of many and our overall economic vitality. I am elated that the Healey-Driscoll Administration has granted a Seaport Economic award of $1 million to the Town of Chatham that will support improvements at the Bridge Street Waterfront,” said Senator Julian Cyr, who represents the Cape and Islands District. “These funds will help ensure our waterfront is utilized as a vibrant community resource. I am also grateful that the towns of Barnstable, Chatham, Harwich, Orleans, Eastham, and Wellfleet have been awarded $4.7 million in funds for dredging to help us maintain our harbors." 

“I’m grateful for the support from the Healey-Driscoll Administration through both the Seaport Economic Council and the Dredging Grant Program,” said Representative Sarah Peake, who represents the 4th Barnstable District. “These funds will support our harbors and help grow the harbor-side and water based economy of the outer cape towns.”

Seaport Economic Council Grants: 

Town of Chatham, Bridge Street Waterfront Improvements - $1,000,000  
The Town will use grant funds to construct and install waterfront features such as a sheetpile bulkhead, a pile supported pier with a concrete foundation for a shellfish upwelling facility, ADA accessible floats for public boating access and shellfish propagation, and an expanded timber pier with concrete float. 

Town of Dartmouth, Dartmouth Apponagansett Park & Dias Landing Master Plan - $60,000 
This project will support the development of a plan for how the Town can best use the Apponagansett Point/Dias Landing in future development. In addition to the potential effects on jobs, business sales, and household income this study will explore, the plan will also examine the extent to which sea level rise, catastrophic storm events, and other environmental concerns might impact municipal revenues. 

Town of Dartmouth, Dartmouth Rogers Street Boat Ramp Design & Permitting - $250,000 
Funding will support the design, engineering and permitting for a new municipal boat ramp, which provides access to Clarkes Cove in Dartmouth.  

Town of Kingstown, Municipal Boat Ramp Reconstruction - $344,000 
The project will reconstruct the municipal boat ramp located at the town landing, which serves multiple communities and is used by commercial fishermen, aquaculture farmers, emergency personnel, and recreational boaters. The new modular concrete ramp will be longer and deeper, making it safer and easier to launch vessels while improving the environmental impact on the Jones River, its estuary, and Kingston Bay.   

Town of Manchester, Main Channel/Proctor Cove Dredging Design and Permitting - $205,300 
Manchester will use funds to perform engineering, biological testing, permitting, and bid service for its main channel from the entrance to Norton’s Point and the Proctor Cove mooring field in advance of a future dredging project to ensure adequate depth for all visiting boaters. 

Town of Marshfield, Green Harbor Town Pier Infrastructure Improvements/Coastal Resiliency Enhancements - $337,040 
This project will support the development of the Green Harbor Town Pier, including permits to rehabilitate a revetment wall built with concrete and granite blocks, dredging permits, a pier connector deck to the current North commercial pier, commercial booms for loading and unloading, and sheet piling to allow for a new bulkhead. 

New Bedford Port Authority, Design, Engineering and Permitting for Pope's Island Marina - $500,000 
This funding will support the initial phase of a project that aims to prepare Pope’s Island Marina to reach its full potential by designing structural repairs, planning and optimizing space of slips and piers at the marina, and completing other upgrades and reconfigurations.   

Town of Swampscott, Fisherman's Beach Pier Redevelopment - $212,800 
This funding will support the design of a new town pier at Fisherman’s Beach, including funding overwater geotechnical borings, a wave and wind study, sediment and environmental information gathering, geotechnical and structural design, and regulatory and public outreach. 

Town of Swansea, Waterways Management Plan - $80,000 
The Town of Swansea will use funds to create a plan developed with stakeholder input that outlines policies governing waterways to ensure all users and uses are effectively managed and that covers assets and uses such as natural and cultural resources, open space and recreation, economic development, and public facilities and services. This plan will be used as the basis for water-related policy decisions, bylaw and regulation amendments, and possible capital expenditures.   

Town of Wareham, Feasibility Study for Merchant’s Way in Wareham Village - $125,000 
The grant funds will be used to perform a survey and analysis of the creation of a coastal pathway, fishing pier, and kayak launch off state land at Merchants Way. The project aims to support the downtown revitalization proposed in the Town’s urban renewal plan.  

The Seaport Economic Council serves all 78 of the Commonwealth’s coastal communities. The Council awards grant funding to municipalities and other entities in support of projects that promote job creation and economic growth, transformative public-private partnerships, educational opportunities for young people, local economic development planning efforts, coastal infrastructure improvements, and the planning and permitting of saltwater dredging. With this latest round of grants, the Seaport Economic Council has invested approximately $90 million through 200 grants in 55 coastal communities since 2015. 

Massachusetts Dredging Program Grants:

Town of Barnstable, Cotuit Bay - $300,000  
The Town will dredge an estimated 17,000 cubic yards of material from the entrance and embayment channels of Cotuit Bay. Dredging will restore the channels to their navigational dimensions, supporting access to over 400 moorings in Cotuit Bay and more than 300 dockage slips in the larger Three Bays harbor system. All sand removed from the channels will be beneficially used to rebuild Dead Neck Island, an important barrier beach that provides protection against severe coastal storms from the Nantucket Sound. 

Town of Chatham, Stage Harbor - $500,000  
The Town will dredge an estimated 28,000 cubic yards of material from Stage Harbor, about 1,300 of which will be removed from the town’s Bridge Street pier. Dredging at the pier will support both an expansion of the existing structure and build out of the adjacent waterfront. Planned improvements include 360 square feet of additional pier for commercial landings, installation of three concrete floating docks, and construction of a second pier for a municipal shellfish lab and propagation facility. Stage Harbor operates as the southern hub of Chatham’s blue economy, providing berth and off-loading infrastructure for the third largest fishing fleet in Massachusetts. 

Town of Harwich, Allen Harbor - $50,000  
The Town will dredge an estimated 8,000 cubic yards of sand from the Allen Harbor entrance channel. Dredging will preserve all-tide navigation for commercial and recreational users, as well as three search and rescue assets that operate in the harbor. Allen Harbor hosts six commercial fishing boats and is home to a commercial marina, a public boat ramp, and over 160 moorings and dockage slips. Over $4.6 million in commercial catch was landed in Harwich in 2021. 

Town of Marshfield, Green Harbor - $400,000  
The Town will dredge an estimated 8,700 cubic yards of material from Green Harbor’s north and south fish piers. The project will restore unrestricted access to the piers, supporting off-loading for both commercial and recreational users, including sportfishing vessels. In 2021, Marshfield was the number two lobster port in Massachusetts, supporting about 50 lobster boats and generating more than $8 million in commercial catch. Additionally, Green Harbor is among the top ports in the state for recreational landings of bluefish tuna. 

Town of Mattapoisett, Mattapoisett Harbor - $20,000  
The Town will dredge an estimated 100 cubic yards of material from the Holmes Wharf basin in Mattapoisett Harbor. Current conditions make the basin inaccessible for most power and sail boats and cause small skiffs to become grounded during low tides. Dredging will maximize berth capacity in the basin, expanding daily access to about 25 dockage slips. Mattapoisett’s Harbor provides access to five wharves, a public boat ramp, and over 600 moorings. 

Towns of Orleans and Eastham, Rock Harbor - $1,300,000  
The Towns will dredge an estimated 24,000 cubic yards of material from the Rock Harbor channel. Current conditions make navigation hazardous during low tides and recently required emergency dredging to ensure public safety for boaters. Rock Harbor hosts two public boat ramps, about 100 dockage slips, and one of the largest sportfishing fleets in Massachusetts. Additionally, the harbor provides off-loading infrastructure for nearly 30 commercial fishing vessels. In 2021, these vessels contributed to over $4 million in commercial landings in Orleans and Eastham. 

Town of Wellfleet, Wellfleet Harbor - $2,500,000  
The Town will dredge an estimated 100,000 cubic yards of material from the South Anchorage in Wellfleet Harbor. Current conditions limit access to the anchorage to only a few hours either side of high tide. Dredging will restore all-tide access to the area for up to 315 commercial and recreational vessels and improve conditions for shellfish propagation. In 2021, Wellfleet Harbor was the number two shellfishing port in Massachusetts, supporting more than 90 private growers, 265 acres of shellfish farms, and over $8 million in commercial landings. 

Projects awarded through the 2023 round are anticipated to remove an estimated 186,000 cubic yards of harbor material to deepen public berths and channels for commercial, recreational, and public safety vessels. About 30 percent of all dredged material will be beneficially used to nourish beaches on Cape Cod. In addition, projects will expand or preserve the use of over 2,000 moorings and dockage slips, and navigation for more than 250 commercial vessels. Across all grantee communities, nearly 27 million pounds of commercial seafood was landed in 2021, generating more than $40 million. 

The Massachusetts Dredging Program is administered by the EOED and financed through capital funds authorized under the 2018 Economic Development Bond Bill. Applications for the 2023 grant round were evaluated in collaboration with staff at the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management and the Seaport Economic Council. With this latest grant round, since 2019, the Massachusetts Dredging Program has awarded $29.4 million for 37 projects, tapping into about $31 million in matching funds. Projects have expanded or preserved the use of more than 8,000 moorings and dockage slips, and navigation for approximately 1,000 commercial vessels. Additionally, over one third of all dredged material was beneficially used to replenish Massachusetts beaches. 

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