Assessment of Massachusetts Designated Port Areas

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts established the Designated Port Area (DPA) program in 1978 to protect and promote the unique coastal lands and waters needed to support water-dependent industrial uses (WDIUs), which continue to play a vital role in the state’s economic, environmental, and social health. As Massachusetts coastal communities face new opportunities for economic development and increasing challenges related to our changing climate, particularly sea level rise, the state recognized the importance of evaluating how the DPA program can continue to meet its goals in the future. The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (MA CZM) sought a forward-looking assessment to better understand the current conditions and contributions of each DPA and to identify opportunities to strengthen the program’s effectiveness and resilience in a changing coastal landscape.

MA CZM engaged ERG to conduct a statewide assessment of the DPA program across 10 active DPAs. The assessment evaluated five key areas: infrastructure and land use, regulatory framework, funding and financing, economic and community impacts, and coastal resilience. ERG developed detailed qualitative profiles for each DPA, analyzed the economic contributions of WDIUs, and facilitated robust stakeholder engagement through interviews, surveys, and workshops. Drawing on its deep expertise in coastal management, ERG identified strengths, gaps, and opportunities for program improvement to help the Commonwealth modernize the DPA program in a way that supports coastal resilience, economic vitality, and community goals.