New piers coming to Somerset and Salem thanks to fees collected from Massachusetts saltwater recreational fishing permits

By Massachusetts law, one third of the fees collected from the sale of saltwater recreational fishing permits are dedicated to supporting public access for saltwater fishing. Over the years, this funding source has supported projects ranging from multi-million-dollar fishing piers to forty-five-dollar garbage receptacles. Here’s what your saltwater license fees have been funding lately. 

According to Ross Kessler, Public Access Coordinator, the Division of Marine Fisheries in partnership with the Office of Fishing and Boating Access and the City of Salem has been working for many years to replace the original and historic Salem Willow Park fishing pier, which was condemned in 2021 (see DMF’s 2022 Q3&4 Newsletter). Over the past year, the design and engineering for this $5-million project ($2-million provided by DMF) was finalized and this spring, construction began. The new pier will span 346 feet, matching the length of the original pier, but with the addition of a 60 x16 foot “T” at its terminus, allowing for more fishing frontage at the most popular location of most fishing piers, the end! The new pier should be ready to be fished from by the time the fall run of fish begins!   

While construction is taking place in Salem, engineering services are just beginning in Somerset along the Taunton River in the shadow of the now retired Brightman Street Bridge. This bridge was a favorite fishing spot for many in the Fall River, Somerset, Swansea, and Dighton area for decades. This new facility will offer an ADA-compliant fishing pier, cartop launch for kayaks and canoes, and off-street parking. This project is being funded with DMF saltwater fishing permit dollars in partnership with OFBA and the town of Somerset. 

The Small Grant Program allows for municipalities and NGOs to apply for funding to improve access for saltwater fishing. The application process is intentionally easy and has yielded some impressive improvements at many locations. Since the program’s inception over a decade ago, 42 projects have been funded, including the five most recent reviewed below.  

Three projects funded in 2022 were ready for use in 2023. In Cohasset, two cartop access floats were installed in the downtown area to help reduce user conflicts at the town boat ramp; these floats are designed to enhance the ability of canoe, kayak, and stand-up paddleboard users to access the water. In Barnstable, repairs were made to the concrete boat ramp at Blish Point. And in Newburyport, solar lights and running water were added to the Cashman Park fishing pier on the Merrimack River.

Two more grants were awarded this year. The Trustees of Reservations received $25,000 to perform maintenance for over-sand vehicle trails on Tom’s Neck in the Chappaquiddick portion of Edgartown on Matha’s Vineyard. This improvement will make over-sand vehicle travel along that trail possible for anglers throughout the coming season and especially for the famed Martha’s Vineyard Fishing Derby.

The second grant was issued to Beverly for $25,000 and is funding maintenance on a city-owned pier where fishing takes place. This is the third grant awarded to Beverly and will complete all decking replacement on that pier. The city is performing the installation.