Coast Guard Delays Controversial Buoy Removal Plan

A Coast Guard plan to remove hundreds of navigational buoys from New England waters, including several near Nantucket, has been delayed until at least 2026 after significant pushback from legislators and boaters.

The plan, which was opposed by Nantucket Harbormaster Sheila Lucey and a number of local charter boat captains, was put on hold earlier this month, with the Coast Guard extending the public comment period until September.

While the Coast Guard contends that the buoys predate modern navigational technology and may not be cost-effective to maintain, the plan to remove them ignited controversy when it was announced last spring, as many boaters still rely on the buoys for navigational purposes.

“I’m going to request that they don’t discontinue any of them," Lucey told the Current at the time. “I think each of them has significant value to the boaters in and around Nantucket. We get such a wide range of boaters and boating experience, and the types of vessels we get. We have small recreational boats without any GPS at all that rely on their compass and getting to the NB buoy to realize they’re at the top of the channel. So I think we want to keep everything we have in place.”

Even boaters with modern navigational tools like GPS sometimes still use buoys to confirm they are headed in the right direction.

U.S. Senators and members of the House of Representatives joined locals in opposing the plan, with a group of eight Democratic Senators from New England, including both of the Senators from Massachusetts, sending a letter to the Coast Guard asking for a delay.

“We commend the agency for proactively initiating a program to assess current systems and to propose appropriate changes,” the letter read in part. “However, we urge the agency to slow down this effort to ensure that the agency understands the needs of the communities and mariners in our states. Therefore, we urge you to extend the public comment period and increase public and Congressional engagement.”

Shortly after receiving the letter, the Coast Guard relented.

“The Coast Guard will modify and extend the process. The Northeast District will review first round comments, assess feedback, and re-advertise with any changes to the current proposal.” Coast Guard Director of Marine Transportation Systems Michael Emerson wrote in a letter. “The Northeast District expects to issue this updated proposal by Fall 2025 with an eight-week comment period. After this additional comment period, the Coast Guard will repeat the review cycle, make appropriate changes, and then issue and Advance Notice of Intended Changes for another eight-week comment period before implementing changes. The Coast Guard plans to carry out Coastal Buoy Modernization Initiative changes no earlier than Calendar Year 2026.”

That gives concerned parties from Nantucket, as well as anywhere else in New England, significantly more time to weigh in on the plan and make their voices heard.