For a while there, in the not-too-distant past, there was considerable debate on whether climate change and the threat of sea-level rise was real or a hoax. Thank goodness, those days are behind us now, which is why I was very pleased to read two recent articles in The Star Democrat. One was about our Town Commission Landing $135,00 in Major Grants To Tackle Sea-Level Rise and the other was about Town Efforts to Support the Spread of Floating Docks as a Method of Coping with Sea-Level Rise.
This was very encouraging but there seemed to be a glaring omission. The reporter said the commission acknowledged that “…there seem to be more and more floating docks around the town marinas and waterways…” but the rest of the article focused on floating docks for kayaks and other personal watercraft. Of course, this is a good thing, but we have four major commercial marinas operating in the harbor including mine (St. Michaels Marina) and there was nothing mentioned about what kind of help we might get. It would be injudicious to leave us out of future planning.
Our marinas ensure a steady stream of Transient Boaters who visit our town and contribute greatly to the financial health or our robust tourist industry. I am very glad that the Town has its eyes on the future and is moving forward with securing grant money to combat sea-level rise. I am also glad that they have shown the wisdom to work directly with our neighbors and the community at large, but it would be imprudent to ignore the bigger picture and address the needs of not only our waterfront homes but also our waterfront businesses. The need for us to foster a climate of cooperation between the Town, its homeowners, its businesses and the state is paramount.
Please Don’t Forget the Marinas! Floating docks alone may not be enough. Commercial marinas may also need to elevate our fixed piers to properly adjust to the problems caused by impending sea-level rise. This is a much more daunting challenge than simply installing a floating dock to accommodate a kayak or private boat. Limiting bureaucratic red tape and streamlining the long permitting process are an excellent starting point. I’m sure we can all come up with some other ideas, in the spirit of cooperation. Only in this way will we be able to tackle our “new reality” and secure the economic future of St. Michaels.
Michael Morgan
St Michaels Marina
Write a Letter to the Editor on this Article
We encourage readers to offer their point of view on this article by submitting the following form. Editing is sometimes necessary and is done at the discretion of the editorial staff.