Ogunquit - The Town of Ogunquit lies just an hour north of Boston. Named by the Micmac Indians for its natural beauty and charm, Ogunquit is one of Maine's oldest vacation destinations. Quaint shops, pristine sandy beaches and a wealth of arts and entertainment offerings lend the town a special charm, drawing visitors from around the world.

In 1923 this magnificent strip of Maine coast "on the margin" of the ocean was given to the town by Josiah Chase of York. The 1¼ mile footpath offers breathtaking views of the bold Atlantic coast while winding past tangled honeysuckle and bittersweet bushes, gnarled shrubs of fragrant pink and white sea roses and shaded alcoves formed by wind-twisted cedar trees. This buffer shelters dozens of coastal birds, delighting birdwatchers.

The sedimentary rocks and glacial features along the footpath represent nearly a half billion years of earth's history framing unspoiled scenic vistas. The Marginal Way is one of the finest, most spectacular and most accessible panoramas of rocky shoreline in Maine.

The same natural forces that make the Marginal Way so unique and beautiful have also caused serious damage to vulnerable sections of the path. Decades of storms have taken a toll.

The Town of Ogunquit has maintained the Marginal Way for more than 80 years with federal funding playing a key role in replacing weather damaged sections of the path. But an increasing number of periodic storms - including the dramatic damage of the Patriot's Day storm of 2007- have undermined several sections of the footpath, requiring extensive and costly repairs. With the Army Corps of Engineers no longer providing funding for maintenance, the burden for upkeep falls squarely on the shoulders of the townspeople.