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Planners update fisheries chapter; staff to add DNR catch data and local economic context including wind impacts
Summary
Worcester County planners said they will revise the fisheries chapter after receiving data from Maryland DNR and economic-development staff, and will add local commercial landing and potential offshore-wind impact language ahead of drafting the final chapter.
Worcester County planners told a Sept. 11 work session that they will revise the fisheries chapter of the Comprehensive Plan after obtaining additional data from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and county economic-development staff.
Staff said the fisheries chapter will remain a separate element but will be folded into the larger plan document once updated. "We have public boat ramps, etcetera, so some data there. So, been working with DNR to review this and just make sure that we have, to the extent, other data sets that we would could add them," a planning staff member said.
Why it matters: fisheries and commercial-landing activity shape local marine economic activity, boat-ramp and landing planning, and may be affected by changes such as offshore wind operations or the siting of operation-and-maintenance facilities.
Discussion highlights
- DNR and economic data: Staff reported recent comments from DNR with updated catch data and said they will add material from county economic development, including updated impact numbers since a 2012 state study on the white-marlin tournament cited earlier in the draft.
- Commercial landing and scallop operations: Staff and a planner discussed a commercial scallop operation in a growth area south of an inlet; the facility and public landings were noted as locally significant marine economy sites.
- Offshore wind and operations impacts: Participants recommended adding language about how offshore wind development and any associated operation-and-maintenance facilities could affect fish houses and landings; staff said they had asked economic-development staff to contribute data on economic impacts.
Next steps
Staff will incorporate DNR catch data and any economic-development information received from county staff into the fisheries chapter and then fold the chapter into the overall plan document as a discrete element. The chapter will be refined ahead of state review and public hearings.
