STATE OF MAINE
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IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE
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JOINT RESOLUTION TO EXPRESS THE LEGISLATURE'S
OPPOSITION TO THE REMOVAL OF NAVIGATIONAL BUOYS
WHEREAS, on May 8, 2025, the Joint Standing Committee on Marine Resources voted
unanimously to send a letter expressing the committee's concern about the proposed removal
of dozens of United States Coast Guard navigational buoys along the Maine coast; and
WHEREAS, according to the United States Coast Guard, most if not all buoys would be
removed to modernize the system of navigational aids and limit vessel transit risk to an
acceptable level at an acceptable cost; and
WHEREAS, buoys are essential tools along Maine's highly irregular coast, where rocky
outcroppings are common and tides can be strong, especially in eastern Maine, and are
especially critical in areas prone to dense fog, strong currents or hidden hazards; and
WHEREAS, the buoys targeted for removal are used by mariners to navigate their vessels
at harbor entrances and around ledges and other hazards; and
WHEREAS, in its letter, the Joint Standing Committee on Marine Resources expressed
its strong opposition to the proposed removal of these buoys because of its concern that
removing these physical aids will create hazards for the State's fishing communities; and
WHEREAS, most commercial fishermen use physical aids, including the buoys, as well
as newer technology, but current electronic navigation charts and charting systems and
smartphone navigation apps are not always reliable and, if they were to fail and no alternative
navigational tools are available, lives may be put at risk; and
WHEREAS, small boaters, including kayakers and recreational fishermen, do not always
have the capacity to purchase these electronic systems and keep up with associated
subscriptions and must rely on physical aids by necessity; and
WHEREAS, the people of our State are tied to the ocean through fishing and recreation
and the proposal to remove the buoys is shortsighted and even dangerous; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED: That We, the members of the One Hundred and Thirty-second Legislature
now assembled in the First Special Session, on behalf of the people we represent, take this
opportunity to express its strong opposition to the United States Coast Guard's plan to remove
the navigational buoys.
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