01-12-2007, 11:10 PM
NORFOLK, Virginia-- The study evaluating various alternatives to significantly increase the population of oysters throughout the Chesapeake Baycontinues to move forward with the release of the DRAFT Oyster Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) report targeted for May/June 2007, according to the Executive Committee for the Oyster EIS which met in December. Once the draft report is released, the public will have an opportunity to provide input. A timeframe for release of the Final EIS will be determined following the completion and review of the public input process.
The EIS Executive Committee is comprised of Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary C. Ronald Franks; Virginia Secretary of Natural Resources L. Preston Bryant, Jr.; and United States Army Corps of Engineers Norfolk District Commander, Colonel Dionysios Anninos. The cooperating agencies consist of the Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The Potomac River Fisheries Commission (PRFC) and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) are also partners in this effort.
The specific goal of the EIS, initiated in Jan. 2004, is to identify a preferred alternative(s) for establishing an oyster population in the Chesapeake Baythat reaches levels comparable to the levels during the period 1920 - 1970. The objective is to restore the ecological role of oysters in the Bay as well as the economic benefits of commercial oyster fishery. Alternatives under consideration include restoration of the native oyster and/or the introduction of an ecologically compatible non-native oyster.
'As a partnership, we must seek a means to create a sustainable solution that is multi-faceted, science-driven, actionable and balanced in restoring the oyster population in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries,' states Col. Anninos. 'We must allow the EIS to drive the future direction of our oyster population recovery efforts and have a consistent strategy across all the partner organizations to achieve our goals. We will take a systems approach to ensure we understand the second and third order impacts of all the possible alternatives being examined, using agreed-upon evaluation criteria.'
'The continued collaboration among the project partners and scientific community is critical to the completion of this effort and the development of a strategy to significantly increase the Bay's oyster population level,' said Secretary Franks. 'We remain committed to having this study be guided by science and the unfettered and objective input of our partners and the public prior to a final decision.'
Media Contact:
MarylandDNR<br />
Tom O'Connell<br />
410-693-8075
VirginiaDNR<br />
Jack Travelstead<br />
757-247-2247
Corps of Engineers<br />
Mark Mansfield<br />
757-201-7764
The EIS Executive Committee is comprised of Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary C. Ronald Franks; Virginia Secretary of Natural Resources L. Preston Bryant, Jr.; and United States Army Corps of Engineers Norfolk District Commander, Colonel Dionysios Anninos. The cooperating agencies consist of the Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The Potomac River Fisheries Commission (PRFC) and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) are also partners in this effort.
The specific goal of the EIS, initiated in Jan. 2004, is to identify a preferred alternative(s) for establishing an oyster population in the Chesapeake Baythat reaches levels comparable to the levels during the period 1920 - 1970. The objective is to restore the ecological role of oysters in the Bay as well as the economic benefits of commercial oyster fishery. Alternatives under consideration include restoration of the native oyster and/or the introduction of an ecologically compatible non-native oyster.
'As a partnership, we must seek a means to create a sustainable solution that is multi-faceted, science-driven, actionable and balanced in restoring the oyster population in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries,' states Col. Anninos. 'We must allow the EIS to drive the future direction of our oyster population recovery efforts and have a consistent strategy across all the partner organizations to achieve our goals. We will take a systems approach to ensure we understand the second and third order impacts of all the possible alternatives being examined, using agreed-upon evaluation criteria.'
'The continued collaboration among the project partners and scientific community is critical to the completion of this effort and the development of a strategy to significantly increase the Bay's oyster population level,' said Secretary Franks. 'We remain committed to having this study be guided by science and the unfettered and objective input of our partners and the public prior to a final decision.'
Media Contact:
MarylandDNR<br />
Tom O'Connell<br />
410-693-8075
VirginiaDNR<br />
Jack Travelstead<br />
757-247-2247
Corps of Engineers<br />
Mark Mansfield<br />
757-201-7764