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Friday, January 2, 2026 Volume 21 • Issue No. 1
Coastal Restoration Work to Begin Early 2026 YORK COUNTY A project to restore beaches in Saco, Wells, and Old Orchard Beach, stripped of protective barriers by back-to-back storms in January 2024, has received final approval and is set to begin early in the new year. York County officials and the three municipalities had initially planned for the work to begin in November, the start of Maine’s dredging season that normally ends in March. But until very recently, clarification on federal approvals for the projects had not been in hand. T hat wa s wor r i some, county officials said, because absent the final word, the dredge season would likely have been missed, postponing the remedy until November 2026 – nearly three years after the storms – exposing the shoreline to potential further damage this winter and spring. Now, the hurdle has been cleared. “FEM A Region 1 has clarified that, as all other eligibility criteria have been met, we are able to proceed,” said York County Emergency Management Agency Director Art Cleaves on Wednesday, Dec. 17. That is good news to York County Commissioners, who had penned a letter to the congressional delegation in early December, seeking their support. “This really was an allhands-on-deck moment,” said Commissioner Justin Chenette,
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Dredging in Wells Harbor in July 2020. Photo courtesy www.dredgingtoday.com.
whose district includes Saco, one of the municipalities included in the projects. “I want to sing Art’s praises one more time [for bringing] this project to fruition. Our communities are in desperate need of these projects.” Chenette said some communities are “one storm away” from losing their homes to the sea. “In the last week and a half, so many came forward saying, ‘This needs to be a priority,’” he pointed out. “A big thanks to the county commissioners, Art [Cleaves], and all levels of government getting to this point and over this hurdle,” said SOS Saco Bay president Kevin Roche. “Everyone made a difference.” On Jan. 13, 2024, a major coastal flood caused more than $110 million in damage to protective dunes and beaches across coastal York County. That storm, and the Jan. 10 storm that preceded it, left coastal waterfronts bare, with virtually no natural
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See COAST on page 20 . . .
Turning Marine Trash into Treasure KENNEBUNK The public is invited to the Kennebunk Free Library on Wednesday, Jan. 7, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. for a hands-on, creative program that blends art, science, and environmental stewardship. The 1.5-hour session, presented by the Blue Ocean Society, begins with a short presentation on marine debris in the Gulf of Maine, exploring how human activity and local ecosystems are connected. Participants will learn about the sources and impacts of marine debris, as well as the actions individuals and communities can take to reduce it. After the presentation, attendees will make mosaic art pieces using beach debris col-
KITTERY Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Cheyenne (SSN 773) recently completed its Engineered Refueling Overhaul at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY). The work makes Cheyenne the first submarine to undergo an overhaul as part of the Service Life Extension Program, extending its total service life beyond 44 years. The Cheyenne Project Team, which includes trade workers, engineers, and material support personnel at PNSY, worked alongside the ship’s crew to return the submarine to the fleet as a fully operational asset. The milestone supports the Navy’s ongoing efforts to maintain readiness among attack submarines. “The Service Life Extension Program,
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more than $660 million in property and infrastructure sits exposed to storm damage. In Wells, 7,600 cubic yards of sand deposited by the storms will be dredged from inside Wells Harbor and used to stabilize Wells Beach as part of the emergency measures. That will be followed by the planting of 126,000 dune grass seedlings to provide further protection for dunes and shorebirds. Saco Public Works Director Travis Moore in an October interview said there will be two projects ongoing – the dredging
lected from area shores. With guidance from instructors, the discarded plastic materials will be transformed into artworks intended to draw attention to plastic waste while emphasizing reuse and renewal. The program aims to promote environmental awareness, teamwork, and artistic expression, demonstrating that even the smallest actions and pieces of “trash” can make a significant difference. The program is free and wheelchair accessible. The Kennebunk Free Library is located at 112 Main Street in Kennebunk. For more information, email kf l@kennebunklibrary.org or call 207-985-2173.
PNSY Delivers Cheyenne as Battle-Ready Asset
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defenses against future events. The damage was so severe in Saco, Wells, and Old Orchard
Beach that the federal government designated the restoration work as “Category B Emergency Protective Measures,” a classification reserved for actions that “eliminate or lessen immediate threats to lives, public health, or safety,” according to Cleaves. The economic stakes are significant. York County’s coastal tourism industry contributes more than $1.6 billion in annual spending and supports more than 27,000 jobs across the region. The January 2024 storms alone caused $40 million in reimbursable municipal damages and $15 million in damages to individual homes and businesses. Currently,
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starting with Cheyenne, is critically important to the overall health of the attack submarine community and the strength of our Navy for any future conflict,” said Shipyard
Commander Capt. Jesse Nice. “The Cheyenne Project Team has blazed the trail for us as a shipyard, establishing the successful execution of a Los Angeles-class submarine refueling, as well as the overhaul and modernization of a submarine that is later in its service life.” Cheyenne’s return follows guidance from the Secretary of the Navy, the Honorable John Phelan, to accelerate the nation’s industrial base amid increasing strategic competition. “The completion of Cheyenne’s availability is a powerful example of the industrial velocity we can achieve when the shipyard and our crews work as a single, integrated team,” See SUB on page 2 . . .
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