York County moving forward with dredge operations

​With each passing storm, the severity of the damage and erosion seem to be getting worse. It’s becoming a very common occurrence to hear about disaster declarations being called for our county. This trend is headed in the wrong direction. We must do everything we can, everything at our disposal, to protect homes, businesses, and our quality of life.
 
Our coastal communities will soon have a critical tool to help restore our dunes and beaches and make our coast more resilient to future storms. York County Commissioners are moving forward with operationalizing a dredge, first purchased with Federal relief dollars from the American Rescue Plan Act.
 
During construction of the dredge by Ellicott in Maryland, county officials were busy determining the appropriate path forward for operations. While the initial intent was to transfer ownership to a new outside nonprofit entity to handle operations, Federal rules around how that would work kept putting up roadblocks. It was becoming clear that county-led operations, with dredge contractors and specific municipal contracts for dredge projects would be the ideal path.
 
After construction, the dredge was housed temporarily at Saco Public Works and in April the dredge was transported to the Portland Pier where it could be worked on. Final assembly and painting were required to get the machinery ready to get into the water. In May, the dredge was towed down to Wells Harbor where it will be moored until operations can begin. 

​Our York County Emergency Management Agency is taking the lead in coordinating the use of the dredge. They have established relationships working with local officials in municipalities throughout our county and are best positioned to ensure a successful transition into full operations. Dredging projects will begin later this year for the start of the next dredging season in November. Formal contracts with municipalities and project specifics will be crafted in the meantime. Towns and cities also need to obtain dredge permits in order for us to proceed with their specific project.
  
We have signed our first Memorandum of Understanding agreements with municipalities, after voting unanimously to work with the City of Saco and the Town of Old Orchard Beach. These agreements outline a framework for the use and funding of dredge operations. It’s fitting that our commission district has the first agreements signed. Our area was hit hard by the winter storms. County officials have engaged 5 other municipalities that plan to sign a similar agreement that include Biddeford, Ogunquit, Wells, Kennebunk, and Kennebunkport.
 
Our area should be the first to benefit from county-led dredge operations because of the significant level of erosion we are experiencing and our urgent need in Camp Ellis. I will continue to advocate for us to be prioritized on the dredge project list.
 
A shared, regional dredge had been discussed in the past by various municipalities, but it had never materialized. Cost and who would operate it were big barriers. We wouldn’t have gotten this far without the staunch advocacy of Save Our Shores Saco Bay and members of the Saco Shoreline Commission, including David Plavin and Kevin Roche. Their efforts ensured the idea of a dredge as a regional solution was always front and center and their expertise throughout the process has been invaluable to me and my fellow commissioners. Having the support of former Mayor Bill Doyle, current Mayor Jodi MacPhail, Councilor Mike Burman, Senator Donna Bailey, Rep. Lynn Copeland, and congressional staff from Senator Angus King, Senator Susan Collins, and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree’s offices to name a few, provided consistent backing that brought weight to the discussions.
 
This is also an example of successful coordination when all levels of government work together on real solutions. Issues pertaining to climate change and coastal erosion are a shared responsibility for all and our county government can and will play a bigger role than it has in the past.
 
This is a critical step towards progress, and we finally have significant momentum for coastal protection and rehabilitation. I know it can’t come soon enough for the people whose lives and livelihood depend on us strengthening our coastline.