Paul is introducing Hugh Cowperthwaite, of Coastal Enterprises, Inc, who is going to present the results from the Working Waterfront Coalition member survey and speak about the Coalition's plan for the future. Click here for presentation slides.
Hugh starts by going over the survey and talking a little bit about the Working Waterfront Coalition. He says that the Coalition is a five-year-old, grassroots initiative, whose participants include industry associations, nonprofit organizations, state agencies and concerned citizens. The Coalition was established to "enhance Maine's working waterfront through policy, planning and research, investment and education." Hugh explains that when the Coalition started the two central issues were the tax program for fishermen and the Working Waterfront Access Pilot Program. In 2005 the Coalition was successful and both initiatives passed. Thus, the survey was designed to help the Coalition determine whether or not there is still a role for them to play in preservation of the working waterfront. Of the 40 people who took the survey, 37 agreed that there was still work to be done to protect Maine's working waterfront and that the Coalition was still very important.
Q: Is it counter-productive to be preserving working waterfront when the fishery is declining? Is the Coalition doing anything to encourage sustainable management of Maine's fishery?
A. The Coalition feels that it is important to preserve this land as working waterfront. The lobster fishery is the primary fishery in Maine and is an intregal part of the Maine culture. Loss of the lobster industry will have an adverse impact not only on the fishing industry but also on tourism. Thus, it will negatively affect two of Maine's most important industries. In addition, development is a short-term economic benefit, while fishermen provide a long-term economic benefit.
Q: What is the Coalition's role now and in the future?
A: The Coalition would like to see a more refined definition of working waterfront, a definition that includes other marine trades. In addition, the Coalition would like to monitor the success and use of the Current Use Taxation Program and the Working Waterfront Pilot Project, invest in increased educational outreach at the municipal level, and collaborate with other organizations and coalitions.
Q: You mentioned that the Coalition wanted to limit the infrastructure allowed on the working waterfront. For example in the Portland Pier Project, how is this going to support the coalition's efforts?
A: The municipality is talking about putting private commercial development on a municipally owned pier; the question is, what effect will this have on public access.
Q: Will the definition of working waterfront be expanded to include other commercial business besides fishermen?
A: The Coalition has focused on fishermen because they are faced with unique economic challenges, specifically, they do not know what they will get for their catch. Unlike boatbuilders and marinas, fishermen do not have the ability to pass their business costs on to their customers making it difficult to stay in business. The challenge to expanding the definition of working waterfront is determining how far it should go. The Coalition would like to see an expanded definition, however, they are not sure yet what types of activities the new definition should include.
Q: Do you deal with dredging so that working waterfront can continue to be working waterfront?
A: No, but that is a good point. This is the feedback the Coalition needs to hear-where should resources be directed. We should add the issue of dredging to the website.
Next: Closing Question & Answer
Next: Closing Question & Answer
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