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Marine Trades Group Urges Expanded Public Boating Access to Austin Harbor
Summary
The Massachusetts Marine Trades Association asked the committee to require agencies that control waterfront property to create or expand public mooring and boating access, and highlighted the marine trades’ economic contribution to the state.
Jamie Buchanan, representing the Massachusetts Marine Trades Association, asked the committee to forward a bill that would direct municipal and state agencies to establish or expand public mooring, slips, or other boating facilities to increase access to Austin Harbor.
Buchanan described the marine trades as a statewide industry that supports more than 18,000 jobs and generates approximately $5 billion in annual economic activity, and highlighted studies cited in his testimony showing local economic returns when slips or moorings are added. "For every $1 spent on a slip or a mooring, dollars 3.8 are spent in the local economy," he said. Buchanan also emphasized boaters’ commitment to water quality and noted Massachusetts’ no-discharge zones as evidence of the sector’s environmental stewardship.
The committee accepted the testimony and encouraged written materials; no committee action or vote occurred at the hearing.
