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DMF presents coastal permit review examples and SAV-protection tools; commissioners discuss cross-agency coordination
Summary
DMF staff described environmental permit review processes, examples where avoidance or minimization to protect submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) and shellfish habitat were required, and buffering strategies for dredging; commissioners urged coordination on water-quality and CHIP priorities.
Kim Harding, a habitat and enhancement biologist, walked the commission through the division’s environmental review program for coastal development permits. She explained that development applications are circulated to 14 natural-resource agencies and that the program’s goal is to avoid, minimize and mitigate impacts to fish and fish habitats.
Harding presented specific project examples in Middle Sound and Davis Canal where DMF recommended minimizing dredge footprints, building configurations to avoid shellfish habitat, or replacing a boat lift with a fixed platform to prevent substrate impacts. She described SAV mapping (1981–2021) and said mapped SAV within 10 years is treated as confirmed SAV habitat for review purposes. For large infrastructure (Hatteras Inlet), the division uses seasonal moratoria and 100–300 foot buffers to minimize dredging impacts to SAV during peak growth.
Commissioners and staff discussed broader water-quality and land-use drivers upstream of coastal habitats and noted that the upcoming Coastal Habitat Protection Plan (CHIP) revision is an opportunity to identify priorities for better integrating water-quality standards and county land-use planning with habitat protection.
Catherine Bloom separately updated the commission on rulemaking cycles (2324 and 2425), public comments and next steps, reporting robust turnout for a false-albacore rule and plans to bring public comments to the February meeting for final-action votes.
Next steps: staff proposed outreach and potential coordination with the Department of Environmental Quality on water-quality permitting and encouraged commissioner input as CHIP is revised.
