September 27, 2014 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission have scheduled a series of scoping hearings to gather public input on the range of issues and information to be considered in the Comprehensive Summer Flounder Amendment. Hearings will be held September 29 – October 22 in coastal states from Massachusetts to North Carolina.
Check out the Comprehensive Summer Flounder Amendment Scoping Guide for a short summary of the scoping process.
Learn More
The Scoping Document contains background information on summer flounder management and on issues that may be addressed in the amendment, as well as a description of the amendment process and timeline.
Additional information and updates will be posted at www.mafmc.org/actions/summer-flounder-amendment.
Contacts
Kirby Rootes-Murdy, FMP Coordinator, Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
Krootes-murdy@asmfc.org, 703.842.0740
Kiley Dancy, FMP Coordinator, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council
kdancy@mafmc.org, 302.526.5257
Hearing Schedule
Note: Scroll down for instructions on how to submit written comments.
Monday, September 29, 2014, 6:30 p.m.
Kingsborough Community College
2001 Oriental Blvd
Building T3, Room 303, Brooklyn, NY 11235
Contact: Kirby Rootes-Murdy
Monday, September 29, 2014, 6 p.m.
Somers Point City Hall
1 West New Jersey Avenue, Somers Point, NJ 08244
Contact: Kiley Dancy
Tuesday, September 30, 2014, 5:30 p.m.
Montauk Library
871 Montauk Highway, Montauk, NY 11954
Contact: Kirby Rootes-Murdy
Tuesday, September 30, 2014, 6 p.m.
Belmar Municipal Court
601 Main Street, Belmar, NJ 07719
Contact: Kiley Dancy
Wednesday, October 1, 2014, 7 p.m.
CT DEEP Marine Headquarters
Boating Education Center (Bldg 3), 333 Ferry Rd, Old Lyme, CT 06371
Contact: Kirby Rootes-Murdy
Wednesday, October 1, 2014, 6:30 p.m.
NYDEC Bureau of Marine Resources
205 North Belle Mead Road, Suite 1, East Setauket, NY 11733
Contact: Kiley Dancy
Thursday, October 2, 2014, 6 p.m.
Ocean Pines Library
11107 Cathell Rd, Berlin, MD 21811
Contact: Kiley Dancy
Thursday, October 2, 2014, 5 p.m.
Bourne Fire Station, #3 Meeting Room
53 Meetinghouse Lane, Sagamore Beach, MA 02561
Contact: Kirby Rootes-Murdy
Monday, October 6, 2014, 6 p.m.
DNREC Auditorium
89 Kings Hwy, Dover, DE 19901
Contact: Kiley Dancy
Wednesday, October 8, 2014, 6 p.m.
University of Rhode Island Bay Campus
Corless Auditorium
South Ferry Rd, Narragansett, RI 02882
Contact: Kiley Dancy
Tuesday, October 14, 2014, 6 p.m.
Virginia Marine Resources Commission
4th Floor Meeting Room, 2600 Washington Avenue, Newport News, VA 23607
Contact: Kiley Dancy
Wednesday, October 15, 2014, 6 p.m.
NCDMF Pamlico District Office
943 Washington Square Mall, Highway 17, Washington, NC 27889
Contact: Kiley Dancy
Tuesday, October 21, 2014, 6 p.m.
Washington Marriott at Metro Center
775 12th St NW, Washington, DC 20005
Contact: Kiley Dancy
Wednesday, October 22, 2014, 6 p.m.
Internet webinar: Connect to the webinar by going to http://mafmc.adobeconnect.com/summerflounder_scoping/ and selecting “enter as guest.”
Contact: Kirby Rootes-Murdy
Written Comments
In addition to providing comments at any of the fourteen scheduled scoping hearings, you may submit written comments by 11:59 PM, Eastern Standard Time, on October 31, 2014. Written comments may be sent by any of the following methods:
ONLINE:
www.mafmc.org/comments/summer-flounder-amendment
EMAIL:
nmfs.gar.FlukeAmendment@noaa.gov
MAIL:
Bob Beal, Executive Director, Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
1050 North Highland Street, Suite 200A-N, Arlington, VA 22201
—-OR —-
Chris Moore, Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council
North State Street, Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901
Please include “Summer Flounder Amendment Scoping Comments” in the subject line if using email or on the outside of the envelope if submitting written comments.
All comments, regardless of submission method, will be compiled into a single document for review and consideration by both the Council and Commission. Please do not send separate comments to the Council and Commission.
Given summer flounder’s presence in, and movement between, state waters (0-3 miles from shore) and federal waters (3-200 miles from shore), the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council manage summer flounder cooperatively.