MyRWA's Letter on the Designated Port Area Review and Regulatory Update

We urge the MA Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) to align Designated Port Area (DPA) regulations with the Commonwealth’s goals for public access, open space, Environmental Justice, and climate resilience.

What is a Designated Port Area (DPA)? “Four Designated Port Areas were established in Boston’s inner harbor by the state Office of Coastal Zone Management in the 1970s, with the goal of protecting and promoting maritime industries like fishing and commercial trade. The designation limits how land can be used in those areas, although increasingly, exemptions have been allowed for specific sites.” - WGBH

MyRWA recently submitted a comment letter to MassDEP sharing our recommendations to update of Designated Port Area (DPA) regulations required by the Massachusetts (MA) Leads Act. The recommendations center on ensuring that residents have access to the Mystic River; and acknowledging and addressing the risk of coastal flooding on these lands.

All DPA’s within the Mystic River Watershed are within or adjacent to Environmental Justice (EJ) communities, with many individuals currently having limited access to the waterfront (Figure 1). The regulation of these areas should explicitly allow for EJ communities to exercise their public rights to access tidelands, waterways, and associated natural resources, and to enjoy the substantial benefits that could be derived from such access.

Figure 1. Designated Port Areas (red outline) and EJ Communities in the Mystic River Watershed.

All DPA’s within the Mystic River Watershed are also at risk from coastal flooding, and that risk is projected to increase dramatically over the coming decades due to sea level rise and increased storm surge caused by climate change (Figures 2 through 4). Supporting the development of coastal resilience infrastructure within DPAs to mitigate local, regional, and even state-scale risks must be a high public policy priority, supported by the Commonwealth, municipalities, and other partners. We request that DPA regulations be amended so the regulatory framework for designing licensable coastal resilience infrastructure in DPA’s is clearly defined.

Figure 2. Designated Port Areas and 2030 Coastal Flood Exceedance Probabilities in the Mystic River Watershed.

Figure 3. Designated Port Areas and 2050 Coastal Flood Exceedance Probabilities in the Mystic River Watershed.

Figure 4. Designated Port Areas and 2070 Coastal Flood Exceedance Probabilities in the Mystic River Watershed.