The U.S. Coast Guard has put its controversial plan to remove buoys used for navigation along the coast of New England on hold after getting a lot of public feedback.
The initial plans to remove more than 350 buoys from New England waters, including 150 in Maine, received backlash from the boating community.
The Coast Guard said the measure would encourage boaters to adopt modern navigation tools like GPS and electronic charts, but opponents said removal of the buoys could lead to collisions and navigational hazards.
The Coast Guard made adjustments to the plan in September. The agency said they would remove 233 buoys, and they would make changes to some nearby buoys that aren’t being removed to help with navigation.
However, after receiving over 3,200 public comments, the Coast Guard said on Wednesday they will be conducting further analysis of the aids to buoy navigation system. There will be no changes in relation to the proposal until further analysis is complete.
“We are extremely appreciative of the public’s input on this important project, and our team’s hard work, analysis, and conclusions were reinforced by the outstanding feedback we received from our maritime stakeholders,” said Rear Adm. Michael Platt, the Northeast Coast Guard District Commander. “The Northeast Coast Guard District will continue to ensure a safe, secure, and efficient Maritime Transportation System. We remain focused on shaping the future of our waterways, ensuring a modern aids to navigation system, and facilitating commerce vital to economic prosperity and strategic mobility.”
The Coast Guard maintains nearly 45,000 navigational aids nationwide.
