Massachusetts lawmakers are restructuring a state council that manages and recommends economic growth, climate resilience and recreation projects in coastal communities statewide.
Gov. Maura Healey signed an executive order on Jan. 7 reconstituting the state’s Seaport Economic Council, aligning missions and purpose with the state’s maritime industry and economic development goals. The effort will be supported by a $100 million in reauthorization funding through the 2024 Mass Leads Act.
The executive order modernizes the council’s mission and composition, broadening its focus beyond traditional port infrastructure to include climate preparedness, working waterfronts and recreational access. The updated council is led by Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll and brings together state agency leaders, mayors from major coastal communities and representatives from maritime industries, such as fishing, boating, tourism and transportation. The mix is intended to balance statewide policy goals with local and sector-specific expertise.
The council has already started recommending projects for funding across the Massachusetts coastline, including more than $16 million in grants for fiscal year (FY) 2026 to support work ranging from pier repairs and marina upgrades to harbor planning, dredging design and waterfront improvements in both large ports and smaller coastal towns.
Among the projects recommended for FY 2026 funding are major infrastructure improvements at the Boston Harbor Shipyard Pier, upgrades to commercial and recreational waterfront facilities in communities such as Fairhaven and Newburyport, and planning work in smaller coastal towns focused on dredging and long-term harbor resilience. Additional grants support marina improvements, boardwalk repairs and harbor planning efforts along the North Shore, South Coast and Cape Cod.
The planned projects reflect a strategy that pairs near-term economic benefits with long-term planning to help coastal communities adapt to changing environmental and economic conditions.
Photo by Fletcher, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
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