Coastal Buoy Modernization Proposal Update
UPDATE 10/12/25: Coast Guard District Northeast closed the period for providing comments to the Coastal Buoy Modernization Proposal (CBMP) advertised in the Local Notice to Mariners (LNM) and directly solicited from stakeholders on October 21, 2025. The Coast Guard received over 3,170 informative comments and found it necessary to conduct further analysis of the aids to navigation (ATON) system while ensuring port security, response to contingencies, and the safe and efficient flow of commerce. There will be no changes to ATON at this time in relation to CBMP until further analysis is complete. The LNM Proposal period will be closed out. All navigation safety information can still be viewed through the Coast Guard’s Local Notice to Mariners interactive tool at: Maritime Safety Information Products.
Above: Buoys in the Lower New York Harbor area that were identified as candidates for change through the Coast Guard's Coastal Buoy Modernization Proposal.
The U.S. Coast Guard received nearly 3,000 public comments on its spring/summer Coastal Buoy Modernization Proposal (CBMP), enabling the Coast Guard to assess and adjust Proposed changes. Because of this feedback, the course of action changed for more than half of the original CBMP buoys:
- 121 aids were removed from proposed discontinuation
- 71 aids remain proposed for discontinuation with supporting changes to nearby buoys (relocations, lighting, sound signal additions and/or AIS virtual AtoNs)
- 162 buoys remain proposed for discontinuation without additional proposed changes
The Portal’s new Coastal Buoy Modernization Candidate (USCG Proposal September 2025) map layer, which shows the revisions to the CBMP, can be found in the Maritime theme by clicking on the “USCG Proposed Areas and Studies” dropdown. Click on each candidate buoy to view its name and Light List Number Record (LLNR).
Public comments can be submitted to the Coast Guard on the revised CBMP in writing, either personally or through their organization, by Nov. 15, 2025. To best align feedback to the Proposal Update data needs, please include: the formal aid name (with LLNR; see instructions above), your vessel type (recreational or commercial), and how you use the specific signal to locate good water in relation to hazards, shifting shoals, strong currents, narrow passages/entrances or reduced visibility, along with any additional nearby buoy signal changes you recommend. Refer to Project No. 01-25-015 and submit directly in the body of the email (in lieu of .pdf/excel attachments) to maximize analysis effectiveness (D01-SMB-DPWPublicComments@uscg.mil).
For all proposal details and other navigation safety information, view through the Coast Guard’s Local Notice to Mariners interactive tool at: Maritime Safety Information Products. Track the status of the proposal on the Portal’s Current Agency Actions and Public Comment Opportunities page.
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