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APPROVAL OF AGENDA. THE AGENDA WAS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED WITH THE DELETION OF ITEMS 6 AND 12.
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Agenda]
1. MINUTES of previous meeting. THE MINUTES OF THE MARCH MEETING WERE UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED AS WRITTEN.
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2. PERMITS (Projects over $500,000 with no objections and with staff recommendation for
approval). THE SO-CALLED PAGE 2 ITEM, DELINEATED BELOW AS 2A. 2B, 2C, AND 2D WERE UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED.
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3. CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS. NONE.
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4. CLOSED MEETING FOR CONSULTATION WITH, OR BRIEFING BY COUNSEL. NONE.
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5. JAMES HILL, #14-0293, requests authorization to construct approximately 71 linear feet of riprap revetment adjacent to his property at 823 Falls Creek Drive situated along a manmade canal to the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River in Chesapeake.
The project requires a wetland permit. THE COMMISSION VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO APPROVE
THE PROJECT, IN KEEPING WITH STAFF RECOMMENDATION, CONDITIONED UPON THE PURCHASE OF 120 SQUARE FEET OF WETLANDS CREDITS FROM THE LIBERTYVILLE MITIGATION BANK IN CHESAPEAKE.
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6. MARSHALL B. COX, SR., #13-087S, requests authorization to lease approximately 6.23 acres of Oyster Planting Ground situated in The Gulf, north of Smith Beach, Northampton County.
The application is protested. THIS ITEM WAS PULLED FROM THE AGENDA BASED UPON THE APPLICANT�S
WITHDRAWAL OF HIS LEASE APPLICATION.
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Agenda]
7. PUBLIC HEARING: ARLINGTON PLANTATION HOMEOWNER�S ASSOCIATION, INC., requests a permanent extension to the 47.15 acres of oyster planting ground set-aside area at the mouth of Old Plantation Creek.
The area was originally set-aside for ten (10) years by the Commission on February 24, 2004, due to submerged aquatic vegetation in the area.
THE COMMISSION VOTED 6 TO 2 (WITH COMMISSIONERS A.J. ERSKINE AND LYNN HAYNIE OPPOSED) TO
SET ASIDE FROM OYSTER GROUND LEASING, THE 47.15 ACRES AT THE MOUTH OF OLD PLANTATION CREEK FOR AN ADDITIONAL TEN (10) YEAR PERIOD AS RECOMMENDED BY STAFF.
THE SET ASIDE WAS BASED ON THE PRESENCE OF SUBMERGED AQUATIC VEGETATION IN THE AREA, THE SMALL MIGRATING CHANNEL AND THE POSSIBLE LONG TERM CHANGES TO THE AREA.
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8. PUBLIC COMMENT. MR. ELLIS JAMES SPOKE REGARDING A CONCERN OVER THE KILLING OF SHARKS AND THE IMPACT IT MAY HAVE ON COWNOSE RAY
POPULATIONS. HE ALSO SPOKE ON THE IMPORTANCE OF SUBMERGED AQUATIC VEGETATION. MR. KENNY HEATH REQUESTED THE COMMISSION INVESTIGATE THE LENGTH AND SPACING OF CERTAIN FIXED FISHING DEVICES RELATIVE TO � 28.2-307 OF THE VIRGINIA CODE.
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9. UNLAWFUL TAKING OF OYSTERS OFFENDERS. THE COMMISSION UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO REVOKE ALL FISHING LICENSES OF A COMMERCIAL WATERMAN FOR A PERIOD OF TWO YEARS FROM THE DATE OF HIS CONVICTION INVOLVING THE ILLEGAL HARVESTING OYSTERS FROM AN OYSTER SANCTUARY AREA IN THE JAMES RIVER.
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10. MID-ATLANTIC REGIONAL PLANNING BODY: Laura McKay of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and Jay O�Dell will brief the Commission on mapping being done on important offshore recreation and commercial fish resources as part of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Planning body�s work on regional marine planning in a non-regulatory, cooperative effort to identify regional goals and objectives in marine planning.
THE COMMISSION RECEIVED PRESENTATIONS FROM LAURA McKAY AND JAY O�DELL CONCERNING OCEAN MAPPING AND PLANNING ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH MID-ATLANTIC REGIONAL PLANNING BODY WHICH WAS FORMED IN 2013 TO COORDINATE AND IMPLEMENT RESPONSIBLE OCEAN PLANNING USES.
IT IS A PLANNING BODY ONLY AND INCLUDES REPRESENTATIVES FROM SIX MID-ATLANTIC STATES (NY, NJ, PA, DE, MD AND VA), THE SHINNECOCK INDIAN NATION, THE MID-ATLANTIC FISHERIES MANAGEMENT COUNCIL AND EIGHT FEDERAL AGENCIES.
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11.
FAILURE TO REPORT: Cases involving failure to report commercial harvest, in accordance with Chapter 4VAC20-610-10 et seq., �Pertaining to Commercial Fishing and Mandatory Harvest Reporting.�
THE COMMISSION HEARD FOUR CASES INVOLVING FAILURE TO REPORT COMMERCIAL HARVEST.
THE COMMISSION UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO REVOKE THE LICENSE OF ONE INDIVIDUAL FOR A PERIOD OF 6 MONTHS, AND TO PLACE TWO INDIVIDUALS ON PROBATION FOR A PERIOD OF TWO YEARS.
THE COMMISSION CHOSE TO CONTINUE THE LICENSE SUSPENSION OF ONE INDIVIDUAL UNTIL THAT INDIVIDUAL APPEARS BEFORE THE COMMISSION.
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12.
FORMAL HEARING: Concerning ineligibility to obtain horseshoe crab pound net permits (Arthur Peter Bender); a Class B Horseshoe Crab Dredge Permit (Arthur Peter Bender); and, a Class A Horseshoe Crab Dredge Permit (Edward Bender).
THIS ITEM WAS PULLED FROM THE AGENDA BASED ON MR. ARTHUR PETER BENDER WITHDRAWING HIS REQUEST FOR A FORMAL HEARING AND MR. EDWARD BENDER�S REQUEST TO HAVE HIS FORMAL HEARING CONTINUED TO THE MAY COMMISSION HEARING.
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13. PUBLIC HEARING: Proposed amendments to Chapter 4VAC20-950-10 et seq., �Pertaining to Black Sea Bass� to establish the 2014 recreational season and possession limit for black sea bass.
THE COMMISSION VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO ESTABLISH THE 2014 RECREATIONAL SEASON FOR BLACK
SEA BASS AS MAY 19 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 18 AND OCTOBER 18 THROUGH DECEMBER 31, AND TO ESTABLISH THE POSSESSION LIMIT FOR BLACK SEA BASS AS 15 FISH.
THE MINIMUM LANDING SIZE REMAINS AT 12.5 INCHES TOTAL LENGTH.
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14.
PUBLIC HEARING: Proposed amendments to Chapter 4VAC20-1230-10 et seq. �Pertaining to Restrictions on Shellfish� to amend public and private warm-water shellfish management measures.
THE COMMISSION VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO APPROVE AMENDMENTS TO CHAPTER 4VAC20-1230-10 ET SEQ. �PERTAINING TO RESTRICTIONS ON SHELLFISH�.
THE REGULATION WAS REORGANIZED FOR BETTER UNDERSTANDING AND CLARIFICATION ON PUBLIC AND PRIVATE WARM-WATER SHELLFISH MANAGEMENT MEASURES.
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15.
REQUEST FOR MAY PUBLIC HEARING: Request to establish the Summer Period commercial Quota, as 14,105 pound for SCUP.
THE COMMISSION APPROVED THE REQUEST FOR PUBLIC HEARING TO ESTABLISH THE SUMMER PERIOD COMMERCIAL QUOTA FOR SCUP AT THE MAY 27, 2014 COMMISSION MEETING.
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16. REQUEST FOR PUBLIC HEARING: Amendments to Chapter 4VAC20-490-10 et seq. �Pertaining to Sharks� to increase Virginia�s commercial spiny dogfish seasonal quota from 4,408,894 pounds to 5,329,491 pounds.
THE COMMISSION APPROVED THE REQUEST FOR PUBLIC HEARING TO AMEND CHAPTER 4VAC20-490-10 ET SEQ. �PERTAINING TO SHARKS� AT THE MAY 27, 2014 COMMISSION MEETING.
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THE FOLLOWING SO-CALLED PAGE TWO ITEMS (PROJECTS OVER $500,000 WITH NO OBJECTIONS AND WITH STAFF RECOMMENDATION FOR APPROVAL) WERE APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY:
2A. CHESAPEAKE LANDING HOME OWNERS ASSN., #14-0197, requests authorization to install two (2) 46-foot wide breakwaters measuring 230 linear feet and 130 linear feet and extending a maximum of 120 feet channelward of mean low water, install a 75 linear foot sill, and place 1,333 cubic yards of clean sand as beach nourishment upon State-owned subaqueous bottom along the Chesapeake Bay Shoreline adjacent to the Chesapeake Landing development adjacent to Thimble Shores Court in the City of Hampton. Staff recommends approval of the project with a royalty assessment of $900.00 for the placement of fill as beach nourishment upon 18,000 square feet of State-owned subaqueous bottom at a rate of $0.05 per square foot.
2B. NEWPORT NEWS
DEPARTMENT OF ENGINEERING, #14-0130, requests authorization to replace the
existing James River Fishing Pier with a 24-foot by 32-foot deck channelward of
mean low water, a 12-foot wide open pile pier extending 1,190 feet channelward
of the proposed deck and install a 12-foot by 40-foot floating dock with
associated 30-foot long gangway for boat access along the James River upstream
and adjacent to the Rat 17 James River Bridge in the City of Newport News.
Staff recommends approval of the project with a time-of-year restriction of
March 15 through June 30 to protect anadromous fish and adherence to a VDOT-approved
monitoring plan to prevent damage from pile driving operations to the James
River Bridge.
2C. CORMAN-WAGMAN A JOINT VENTURE, #13-1539, requests authorization to
remove an existing bridge crossing and to replace with a 51.5-foot wide bridge
and to construct a second 58.5-foot wide bridge crossing over a total of 114
linear feet of Accotink Creek, including the use of temporary cofferdams
associated with the widening of U.S. Route 1 between Telegraph Road and Mount
Vernon Memorial Highway in Fairfax County. All construction will adhere to
a time of year restriction from February 15 to June 30 of any year protective of
anadromous fish in addition to standard conditions for erosion and sediment
control and instream construction. This project is a design build project
for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Eastern Federal Lands Highway
Division (EFLHD), and Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), and all
permits will be transferred to FHWA, EFLHD, and VDOT upon completion of the
project.
2D. DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, #13-1912, requests authorization to remove
an existing pier and pile clusters and install a 17-foot by 395-foot pier with a
17-foot by 196-foot T-head and eight (8) wet slips, a 10-foot by 10-foot utility
platform, and a 196-foot wave screen using existing pilings in Gunston Cove
adjacent to Wilson Road in Fairfax County. All instream construction work
will adhere to a time-of-year restriction from February 15 to May 14 of any year
with all instream work from May 15 to June 30 of any year requiring the use of a
bubble curtain protective of anadromous fishes. All in stream construction
work will also adhere to standard conditions for erosion and sediment control.
PAGE
THREE CONSENT AGENDA ITEM:
NONE.
