The Coast Guard is reopening the public comment period on proposed changes to Aids to Navigation in the Northeast, extending the deadline for feedback until Nov. 15, 2025.
The changes fall under the Coast Guard’s Coastal Buoy Modernization Proposal (CBMP), which originally called for a significant reduction of federal buoys across the region. After receiving nearly 3,000 public comments, the Coast Guard has revised its plan.
According to the service, 121 aids originally proposed for discontinuation have been removed from the list. Another 71 remain proposed for removal, with adjustments to nearby buoys, and 162 aids remain proposed for discontinuation without additional changes.
The Coast Guard maintains about 5,600 federal buoys and beacons in the Northeast. Officials said public feedback plays a critical role in determining how best to modernize the system while balancing traditional navigation with new tools such as GPS, radar, AIS, electronic charts, and mobile apps.
The CBMP’s goal, the Coast Guard said, is to ensure long-term sustainability of the buoy system at navigationally critical locations while recognizing how mariners are changing the way they navigate.
The Coast Guard is strongly urging mariners to provide feedback by the November deadline. When submitting comments, respondents are asked to include vessel size and type, how the buoys are used in navigation, and at what distance they first begin to rely on the aid.
Comments will only be accepted by email at [email protected]. A map showing proposed changes is available at www.bit.ly/BuoyProposal
