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10/23/2025
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Legislators applaud suspension of plan to remove navigational aids
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STATE HOUSE – Rhode Island legislators today applauded a decision by the U.S. Coast Guard to suspend its plan to remove hundreds of navigational aids off New England’s coast, including many that help guide boaters around the coast of Rhode Island.
A month after scaling back the plan, the Coast Guard announced yesterday that it will suspend the plan while it conducts further analysis.
“We are very relieved that, at least for the time being, the navigational aids that protect our boaters will continue to do so,” said Rep. Michelle McGaw (D-Dist. 71, Portsmouth, Tiverton, Little Compton), who, along with Sen. Louis P. DiPalma, led an effort among Rhode Island’s lawmakers to issue a letter in June to the Coast Guard opposing the plan. All 37 senators (at the time) and 49 of the 75 members of the House of Representatives signed on. “Every one of those aids was installed for a reason, and none of us wanted to see boaters in our state put in danger because they don’t know what they’re about to run into. This time-tested system works, and we are pleased that boaters will still be able to rely on it.”
Said Senator DiPalma (D-Dist. 12, Middletown, Little Compton, Newport, Tiverton), “Long term, maintaining buoys is a solid investment in public safety because without them, we’d experience increased emergencies and rescues, property damage to vessels, and most importantly, injuries and potential loss of lives. We are glad to see this system maintained for now, and hope that the Coast Guard will recognize its value for many more years.”
The original plan would have eliminated 350 navigational aids — buoys that sometimes include bells or lights and are positioned to help boaters navigate the coast and the many hazards along it — from Maine to New York. That plan targeted 38 markers along Rhode Island’s coast. The scaled-back version of the plan took about half of the Rhode Island buoys set for elimination off the chopping block.
Rep. Lauren H. Carson (D-Dist. 75, Newport) and Sen. Linda L. Ujifusa (D-Dist. 11, Portsmouth, Bristol), who introduced matching House and Senate resolutions (2025-H 6372, 2025-S 1117) opposing the plan, also expressed their relief at the Coast Guard’s announcement.
“Boating is such a part of our state’s identity and its economy, particularly tourism. The buoys are helpful to all boaters, but especially to those who might be visiting and are unfamiliar with our waters and the hazards that can’t be seen from above. Both tourism and water safety are very important to my community, so I’m elated that the system is staying in place,” said Representative Carson.
Said Senator Ujifusa, “Technology has improved navigation in many ways, but we all know it’s not infallible. Earlier this week, we saw how its failure can leave us high and dry when a large swath of Internet-enabled technology across sectors went offline because of an outage at Amazon Web Services. Our navigational aids are a reliable, low-tech system that should always stay in place for boaters to count on.”
Rep. Terri Cortvriend (D-Dist. 72, Portsmouth, Middletown), a cosponsor of the House resolution and owner and operator of a yacht equipment and servicing company in Portsmouth, said the captains of the ships she services were very concerned about the safety of the water if the navigational aids were to be removed.
“Everybody relies on these buoys, not just those with small boats. Even large commercial ships need them there as a failsafe backup and a visual cue, marking the channels and the hazards. If a large ship runs aground, that’s a tremendous danger and a very expensive blow to any business. The maritime industry is an economic driver in Rhode Island, so boating safety needs to be protected,” she said. “It’s a relief to see the navigational aids maintained.”
For more information, contact:
Larry Berman, Communications Director for the Office of the Speaker
State House Room 322
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 447-2655
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