Town of Mt. Desert, Maine - Comprehensive Plan Update

In the past century, coastal tourism and recreation have replaced commercial marine activity as the most common activity in many of Maine’s coastal communities. Nevertheless, commercial marine activity remains vital to the economy and culture of the region.

This chapter inventories the coastal resources in Mount Desert and the region, and details the commercial and recreational marine activity that is dependent on them.

While small-scale commercial marine activity is located throughout the town, Northeast Harbor is the principal harbor for our town’s commercial marine uses. It has the best protection from storms, and as a result most of the year-round commercial activity occurs here.

In Northeast Harbor the Town maintains a boat ramp, a pier, and a marina, along with a parking area, facilities for the harbormaster, and approximately 300 moorings. The Chamber of Commerce maintains a welcome center at the harbor, and a full -range of services is available from the businesses of Northeast Harbor. Ferry service to the Cranberry Isles is located here.

Northeast Harbor was dredged in the 1960s to accommodate larger vessels, but the harbor has been slowly filling in and will need to be dredged again in the future.

Commercial vessels can unload their catch with the pier’s winches. There are pump out facilities on the pier.

Seal Harbor is the second largest harbor in town. There the Town manages 200 moorings, along with a public pier and a boat ramp. The moorings are not used very efficiently, and could be realigned to increase capacity. A very limited selection of food and supplies are within walking distance of the public dock. The Seal Harbor Yacht Club and the Rockefeller Dock are also located here. The beach is open to the public. It is an uncomfortable harbor for cruisers as it faces the open sea. Easy access parking is limited. Gas station and PO??

Somes Harbor lies at the head of Somes Sound, and has approximately 100 moorings for use during the summer months. A limited selection of food and supplies are available in Somesville, and recreation opportunities include the Somesville Library, Mount Desert Historical Society Museum and access to the Island Explorer. There is no town-owned float or ramp facilities (the float is operated by the Somesville Landing Association, a private association that limits access.). Somes Harbor has no commercial activity.

Bartlett’s Landing is located on the west side of town between Pretty Marsh and Bartlett Island. Other than a town pier and boat ramp, there are no facilities. Parking is very limited. The Town manages approximately 60 moorings in Pretty Marsh Harbor. Recreational opportunities there include access directly to Acadia National Park on the east side of the harbor.

Mount Desert’s harbormaster oversees and maintains the Town’s marine-related facilities. This includes the three town piers and boat ramps, the marina in Northeast Harbor, the parking facilities, fish exchange areas in Northeast Harbor, the marine pump out facilities, and approximately 700 of the moorings in the major harbors of the town.

The harbormaster is a full-time position and is supported by one full-time assistant harbormaster, a part-time assistant harbormaster, and six part-time seasonal assistants between the months of June and September. The harbor operates two boats, including a 22-foot all-weather powerboat and a 20-foot powerboat. The smaller boat can be trailed to Pretty Marsh Harbor and Bartlett’s Narrows in case of an emergency.

There are three major boat yards for winter storage and repair with travel lifts: Morris Yachts in Northeast Harbor, Henry R. Abel Yacht Yard on the east side of Somes Sound, and Mount Desert Yacht Yard at the head of the Sound. John Williams Co on the west shore in Hall Quarry. Bar Harbor Boating Co has a small facility south of Abel’s.

Mount Desert adopted a marine management ordinance that creates the authority to manage marine activities within the town’s tidal waters. This includes safety, efficient use of the town’s resources, and fairness in administration of those resources.

The ordinance identifies the four major harbors in the community and establishes guidelines for their use, the use of the Town’s floats, piers, docks, and ramps. The Harbor Master manages the location, type, and scope of moorings. The ordinance establishes a priority list for the moorings throughout the community. A waiting list exists at all four harbors.

Access to marine waters is located throughout the community in various manners. Public lands, including Acadia National Park and the Town of Mount Desert provide access and leisure areas in too many places to count, but include scenic vantage points, trails, parks, campgrounds, boat ramps, piers, and floats. Access is available, on a permission basis, for use through private landowners as well, including boat yards, private lands, restaurants, and private organizations (yacht clubs, landing organizations, etc.).

Water-dependent uses are located throughout the town. Piers and floats offer landing services, fuel, and other marine-related uses. Ferries and tour boats operate from Mount Desert’s harbors. Many shore-side businesses, not directly on the water, offer services to commercial or recreational users. Finally, many of the restaurants and tourist oriented businesses make their living in part from the customers that come to the region to be close to the ocean and Acadia National Park.

Recreation activity on the waters in and around Mount Desert can not be understated. There are two yacht clubs, one in Northeast Harbor and one in Seal Harbor with active racing schedules and children’s’ programs.

Clamming on Mount Desert’s mudflats is permitted for recreational and commercial users alike. The Town of Mount Desert and the Department of Marine Resources manage the flats.

Shellfish beds are located throughout the town’s coastal waters. Large concentrations of these beds are located around Bartlett Island, Bartlett Narrows, and Pretty Marsh Harbor, around the head of Somes Sound, in Somes Harbor, at the mouth of Somes Sound and tucked in the coves along the south end of the island east of Somes Sound.

The Department of Marine Resources declares certain areas off-limits to shellfish harvesting due to water quality concerns on guidelines established by the United States Food and Drug Administration. Areas that are closed due to water quality considerations include:

· Northeast Harbor – closed due to the presence of boats, a wastewater treatment plant, and known point sources of pollution

· Otter Creek – closed due to the presence of a wastewater treatment plant (although this plant is scheduled to be taken off-line as the upgrades to the Seal Harbor plant are made)

Both recreation and commercial clamming requires a permit. Shellfish resources are managed under the 2000 Shellfish Conservation Ordinance, designed to ensure the protection and efficient use of the town’s resources. Non-residential licenses are limited to 10% of the total licenses. Little commercial clamming occurs within Mount Desert. The town can effectively open and close the flats that are not regulated by the Department of Marine Resources (as noted above).

The commercial catch from these shellfish beds varies widely from year to year. Before the Shellfish Conservation Ordinance was adopted, more than 7,800 pounds of soft shell clams were reported to have been commercially harvested in Mount Desert. After the ordinance was accepted, only 300 pounds were reported. Although the current abundance of this resource is unknown, it appears to be somewhat depleted, and a lower level of harvesting is projected in the future.

Over the last five years, the number of licensed commercial fishing vessels in Mount Desert has remained relatively stable. In 1998, 53 boats were licensed in the community. In 2002, 51 boats were licensed. There has not been any noticeable change in the size of licensed boats.

More than 100 Mount Desert residents hold a Marine Resource license. According to records from the Maine Department of Marine Resources, this number fluctuates from year to year, but it has generally remained above 100 for the past five years.

Of the 110 license holders in 2002, 90 held licenses for lobstering/crabbing, 8 held licenses for commercial fishing, and 12 held licenses for quahogs/scallops/urchins. The data from the Maine Department of Marine Resources suggests that lobstering/crabbing is growing in popularity while commercial fishing and quahogs/scallops/urchins are becoming less popular as their resources are depleted.

Despite this shift within the fisheries, the number of commercial fishing boats registered to Mount Desert residents has remained stable. As of 2002, a total of 51 boats were registered to Mount Desert residents. Nearly two-thirds of these boats were less than 30 feet long, and only 7 were larger than 40 feet.

Eelgrass beds are not extensive in Mount Desert, but there are some beds located throughout Seal Harbor, near the east side of Somes Sound, and along the eastern shore near the entrance to Northeast Harbor.

In addition, there are two identified runs of anadromous fish in Mount Desert. The first is at the entrance to Bracey Cove and the other is located at the head of Somes Harbor. Eel netting occurs seasonally in Somes Harbor.

The pressure to develop land in Mount Desert is enormous. Most of the value of water dependent businesses is derived from the land rather than from the operation itself. As this generation retires, the availability of waterfront land will be prohibitive, thereby forcing out the businesses.

1. Dredging to maintain the hafbor is going to be an issues in the future. There is potential for additional dredging to expand the harbor.

3. Other than the marina, facilities have not been upgraded in a long time, and there is much potential for upgrades to the facilities themselves, and for beautification opportunities surrounding the marina.

5. Although the Town has a Shellfish Conservation Ordinance, there is little to no enforcement, and little information on the viability or abundance of this resource.

6. Overall there is a reasonable balance between commercial & recreational uses; however having commercial floats in Northeast Harbor year-round could prove beneficial.

8. The town has mapped out all of the moorings within Mount Desert, but does not currently have the abilities to police them.