Army Corps of Engineers Native Oyster Restoration Master Plan Public Meetings

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In April, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will hold public meetings in Maryland and Virginia to discuss plans to restore native oyster populations in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

During public meetings the public will have opportunities to ask questions and provide feedback. Members of the Norfolk and Baltimore district’s oyster teams will be present at all meetings.

USACE will also be using Social Media via Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/NAOonFB). Questions posted during the meeting(s) will be shared and discussed at the public meetings and responses will be posted on Facebook.

The public can also email questions and comments prior to the meetings to: NativeOysterRestMasterPlan@usace.army.mil.

The Native Oyster Restoration Master Plan is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ plan for large-scale, science-based oyster restoration throughout the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.

The master plan examines and evaluates the problems and opportunities related to oyster restoration and formulates plans for implementing large-scale Bay-wide restoration. Restoration plans recommended by USACE’s master plan have been developed in coordination with the State of Maryland, the Commonwealth of Virginia, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF).

According to planners, long-term goals of the project include the restoration of self-sustaining oyster populations that perform important ecological functions such as providing reef community habitat, nutrient cycling, spatial connectivity, and water filtration, among others. The plan also seeks to improve the fishery for wild oysters in the Chesapeake Bay.

Since the turn of the 20th century, oyster populations have plummeted due to disease, overharvesting, loss of habitat, poor water quality, and other factors.

Public meeting dates and locations are:

Maryland
– April 10 from 3-8PM
The Philip Merrill Environmental Center (Chesapeake Bay Foundation)
6 Herndon Ave., Annapolis MD 21403

Maryland
– April 19 from 3-8PM
Chesapeake College (Route 50)
1000 College Circle, Wye Mills MD 21679

Virginia
– April 17 from 4-9PM
Thomas Nelson Community College
99 Thomas Nelson Drive, Hampton VA  23666

source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

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