Public hearing on Adams Creek shellfish leases set for July

The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries is holding a public hearing in July on two proposed shellfish leases in Craven County.

The hearing will take place at 6 p.m. July 24 in Craven Community College’s Havelock campus STEM Building, Room 134, 305 Cunningham Blvd., Havelock. It will also be livestreamed at the below link.

Charles C. Allen and James T. Chadwick have applied for a 5.18-acre bottom lease and water column lease in Adams Creek.

Dominic Vetrano and Karen Penchansky have applied for a 2.85-acre bottom lease and water column lease, also in Adams Creek.

The public may comment at the hearing or by WebEx. Those wishing to speak via WebEx are asked to register online by 4 p.m. July 23. Those who wish to comment in-person should sign up on-site between 5 and 6 p.m. on the night of the hearing.

Public hearing information, including the web conference link, call-in telephone number, presentation slides, and biological investigation reports can be found on the division’s website.

The investigation for the Allen and Chadwick lease found the proposed lease site is not in a primary nursery area, nor is it in a polluted area.

The investigation for the Vetrano and Penchansky lease found the proposed lease site is in a primary nursery area, but not in a polluted area.

Neither proposed lease location is in a mechanical harvesting area for clams or in an area where mechanical oyster methods are prohibited.

Written comments can be submitted until 6 p.m. July 25, either through an online form or mailed to the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, Shellfish Leases, P.O. Box 769, Morehead City, NC 28557.

For more information, contact Marla Chuffo, with the division’s Habitat and Enhancement Section, at 252-515-5480 or Marla.Chuffo@deq.nc.gov.