Project to prevent shoreline erosion planned at Sipayik

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to build a 1,500-foot-long stone retaining wall this year at Pleasant Point to prevent ongoing shoreline erosion. The emergency shoreline protection project will be behind St. Ann's Church, the elderly meal site building and some tribal housing. The proposed revetment will tie into the southern section of a newly constructed 300‑foot revetment in front of the tribal-owned wastewater treatment plant.
The retaining wall will be located in the same area as a previous revetment that was constructed by the Army Corps in 1987 but that failed because of deficiencies in the stone shape, size and weight and the lack of stone bedding. To ensure that the new design won't fail, the Army Corps conducted an evaluation of extreme water levels and wave heights associated with a 75-year coastal storm and sized the stone accordingly.
According to a public notice issued by the Army Corps, the buildings in the area "may be at risk from further erosion unless immediate action is taken to stabilize the shoreline."
A 30-day public comment period on the project began on December 27, and the Army Corps expects to put the project out to bid before long. Construction is expected to take four to six months. Funding is being cost-shared between the Passamaquoddy Tribe and the Army Corps.
Copies of the Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact are available at
<www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Projects‑Topics/Pleasant‑Point‑ShorelineProtection‑Project/>. The proposed work is being coordinated with: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; National Marine Fisheries Service; Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife; Maine Department of Marine Resources, Maine Coastal Program; the Passamaquoddy Tribe, Pleasant Point; and the tribal historic preservation officer.
Public comments on this proposed shoreline stabilization project should be forwarded no later than January 25 to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, Planning Division, Attn: Mr. Kevin Foster, 696 Virginia Road, Concord, MA 01742‑2751. For more information, contact Foster at 978‑318‑8621 or <kevin.b.foster@usace.army.mil>.