NEWS:
Land Trust Begins Repair Of
Damariscove Stone Pier
Repair work begins this week on the crumbling stone pier at Damariscove Island. The Boothbay Region Land Trust, which took over ownership of the island from The Nature Conservancy this spring, sees repair of the pier essential to good stewardship of the island, to continued use by the fishing community, to provide safety for boaters and for better access for BLRT-organized activities and outings to the island. The pier, which dates back to the mid-1800s, is also considered of historical interest.
Prock Marine from
The work on the pier involves taking apart and rebuilding the crumbling center section of the pier to match the corners which are still intact and will remain. There will be pilings on the face of the pier for tying up boats and two ladders for access other than at high tide.
A tug and barge will be tied to the existing stone wharf throughout the re-building. New stone and other materials will be transported in; the stone will be uncut and will be cut to fit as the rebuilding takes place. The early work will be done depending on the tides. The crew will travel back and forth daily on a small crew boat.
The barge, measuring 100’ x 48’, will make maneuvering in the harbor difficult for pleasure boats going to the island during this period. The island will, however, remain open to visitors. The land trust moorings and the regular float will be accessible. It is suggested that boaters who wish to visit during the rebuilding period go at high tide.
There will be no room for a sailboat to turn around in the harbor, and large power boats might have some difficulty, depending on how much they draw.
The 210-acre historic island, five miles offshore from Boothbay Harbor, known as an important seabird nesting site, was officially transferred to the Boothbay Region Land Trust this spring by The Nature Conservancy following a two-year period when the two organizations worked together to ensure the island’s continued preservation. During this period, the land trust conducted a successful capital campaign to raise endowment funds for future conservation and maintenance of the island.
Damariscove is the BRLT's most recent
acquisition. Founded in 1980, the BRLT now protects a total of 1,350 acres of
island, shoreline, forest, meadow and wetlands properties, providing permanent
wildlife habitat and public access to 27 miles of hiking trails.
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