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Public commenters urge restoration funding and raise alleged septic discharge; staff say water-resources agency will follow up
Summary
During public comment, speakers urged the committee to prioritize active seagrass restoration and forage-fish research and one commenter alleged a marina pumped raw sewage into a marsh; committee staff said the Division of Water Resources had been notified and would follow up with the complainant.
The committee heard several public comments urging stronger, near-term action and raised an enforcement concern that staff said they would refer to the appropriate agency.
Glenn Skinner, who identified himself as representing Marshall Fisher and the North Carolina Medical Association, urged the committee to prioritize active SAV restoration, citing Virginia’s eelgrass restoration as a successful model and urging the General Assembly to fund pilot projects. "We've got a model that is successful," Skinner said, urging the committee to press for funded pilots.
Chris Elkins, speaking for recreational fishing interests, said forage-fish declines and high shrimp-trawl bycatch rates warrant stronger research and monitoring, and he recommended consideration of an onboard observer program for shrimp trawls to resolve uncertainties about bycatch.
Don Durham described video documentation he said shows a certified clean-marina participant discharging septic effluent into a marsh and said the agency response was inadequate. Durham said he had provided video and a public records request and asked the committee to press for enforcement and accountability. DMF staff told Durham that they had forwarded his email to the Division of Water Resources and that the water-resources staff planned to contact him to discuss the situation; staff also offered to speak with him after the meeting.
Committee members and staff encouraged the public to provide written materials and said draft CHIP chapters and supporting materials would be circulated in advance of the August meeting to help inform public input and potential pilot planning.
