Brooksville awarded key grant funding for Betsy’s Cove project

$902,938 Catalyst Grant to help build town’s first all-tide public pier, landing, and boat ramp

Betsy's Cove at low tide. Photo courtesy of the Brooksville Harbor Committee.

June 19, 2026

By John Epstein

BROOKSVILLE—U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced on June 12 that Brooksville will receive a $902,938 Catalyst Grant to help build the town’s first all-tide public pier, landing, and boat ramp at Betsy’s Cove in Buck’s Harbor.

According to the release, the project will dredge a channel and construct a 16-foot-wide, 120-foot-long pier with ADA-accessible ramp and floats, install a hoist, and replace the town’s current, “deteriorating” launch. 

The award is one of 19 made to Maine organizations from the Northern Border Regional Commission’s 2026 Catalyst, Timber for Transit, and Forest Economy programs. In total, $16,201,188 are being awarded to “critical infrastructure upgrades, workforce development, housing, childcare, transportation access, and forest economy projects across [the] state,” the release said.

Mark Shaughnessy, chair of Brooksville’s Harbor Committee, said that the Catalyst Grant will cover half of the estimated cost of the Betsy Cove project. “The Harbor Committee and the town have been working for six years on this project to develop an all-tide accessible pier and boat landing, and this grant will enable us to accomplish our goal,” said Shaughnessy.  “Brooksville has 50 miles of coastline and currently no public access to water at all tides,” he added.

The project’s total cost is estimated at $1,848,347. Once complete, the project will give lobster fishermen, other commercial fishermen, recreational boaters, island service providers and emergency responders 24-hour access to Penobscot Bay.

Shaughnessy said that the Catalyst Grant is structured to reimburse 50 percent of Brooksville’s expenditures.  “When we submit proof of a paid bill, NBRC pays half,” he said, adding that the town can use grants from other sources to pay its share of the project’s cost.

Shaughnessy said that the town has also received a $250,000 grant from the Maine Department of Transportation and the DOT will provide another $250,000 after the project’s engineering studies are completed. In addition, the town can use $73,000 in smaller state grants that it received for shoreline protection and development. Shaughnessy said that he expects Brookville will make up the balance—approximately $350,000—through docking fees and town tax revenues. 

At its March town meeting, Brooksville voters approved a measure to borrow up to $500,000 to fund the project, despite concerns about adding debt to the town’s budget. The vote was needed to qualify for consideration for the Catalyst Grant, but now that it has been awarded, Shaughnessy said it is unlikely that the town will incur any debt for the Betsy’s Cove project.

“Improved commercial access to the waterfront at Buck’s Harbor will bring more people into town and likely spur more business activity,” Shaughnessy said. The Buck’s Harbor business district has enjoyed a resurgence in recent years, stimulated by expanded hours at Buck’s Market, new management at Buck’s Restaurant, last year’s re-opening of the commercial marina, and a coffee and ice cream shop with John’s Ice Cream opening this month.