Overview
- The paused proposal targeted roughly 350 buoys across the Northeast, including about 150 off the Maine coast.
- The Coast Guard says no changes to aids to navigation will occur until the additional analysis is complete, with no timeline announced.
- Officials framed the plan as a modernization effort to save money and encourage greater reliance on GPS and electronic charts.
- Harbormasters and boaters warned that removing buoys could jeopardize safety in fog and poor visibility, especially when electronics fail.
- The proposed reductions represent about 6% of federally maintained aids in the region, as the Coast Guard oversees nearly 45,000 navigational aids nationwide.