The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management has approved the Edgartown Harbor Plan (EHP), which lays out the town’s goals, objectives, and proposed actions around harbor management in the years ahead.

Led by former MVC Climate Change Coordinator Liz Durkee, who worked with a town Harbor Planning Committee in 2023-2025, the plan builds on the original EHP, which was approved in 1997 and informally updated in 2014 and 2017. Compared to the previous versions, this one focuses more on climate change adaptation as key to the harbor’s sustainability, while stressing the importance of increased public access and amenities. It is intended to complement the Edgartown Master Plan, which the town approved in 2024.

The Harbor Planning Committee included members of the town Marine Advisory Committee, Planning Board, Shellfish Committee, and Wharf Committee, as well as the town harbormaster and two members at large. The process also involved four site-specific input sessions in 2023, various meetings with department heads and committees, and input from the MA Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM).

Along with Liz’s contributions, MVC Cartographer and GIS Coordinator Chris Seidel provided detailed maps of the harbor management area, and MVC Research and Publications Manager Alex Elvin provided final design and layout.

All three down-Island towns have established harbor management plans, but only Edgartown’s is currently approved by the state. The Vineyard Haven and Oak Bluffs plans were both developed in the 1990s, also with help from the MVC.

For more info, visit the CZM Port and Harbor Planning Program webpage, or contact Harbor Planning Committee administrator Juliet Mulinare at jmulinare@edgartown-ma.us.