RFAB – Virginia Saltwater Recreational Fishing Development Fund Comments Sought

The Virginia Recreational Fishing Advisory Board (RFAB) requests public comment on the projects, listed below, which are currently under consideration for funding from the Virginia Saltwater Recreational Fishing Development Fund (saltwater recreational fishing license funds).

A public hearing on these proposals will be held on Monday, March 10, 2008, at 7:00 p.m., at the Virginia Marine Resource Commission, 2600 Washington Avenue, Fourth Floor, Newport News. Any person may comment on these projects or any issue related to the license funds.

Written comments on the proposals should be mailed to:

Sonya Davis, VMRC Fisheries
Management Division, 2600 Washington Avenue, 3rd Floor
Newport News, VA 23607

or Email to: sonya.davis@mrc.virginia.gov.

In May, the Recreational Fishing Advisory Board recommendations on projects to be funded will be presented to the Commission. This meeting notice, as well as complete project proposals, are available on the Internet at http://www.mrc.virginia.gov/vsrfdf/index.shtm

Tentative Agenda
I. Introduction, Announcements, Comments.
II. Status of Fund.
III. Review of Minutes from the January 2008 RFAB Meeting.
IV. Multi-Year Projects for Renewal.
A) 2008 Sunshine Children’s Fishing Program. Denny Dobbins, Portsmouth Anglers
Club. $7,194.
B) 2008 Saxis & Morley’s Wharf Fishing Pier Youth Fishing Tournaments (Year 7).
Allen Evans, Eastern Shore of Virginia Anglers Club. $2,500.
C) 2008 Hope House & Oak Grove Nursing Home Fishing Excursions and Clinics. D.
Hurst, C. Macin, Great Bridge Fisherman’s Association. $4,000.
D) Virginia Marine Sportfish Collection (Year 2). J. Grist, J. Cimino, VMRC. $12,000.
E) Estimating Relative Abundance of Young-of-Year American Eel, Anguilla rostrata,
in the Virginia Tributaries of Chesapeake Bay (Year 8). Mary Fabrizio, VIMS.
$45,348.
F) Estimating Relative Juvenile Abundance of Recreationally Important Finfish in the
Virginia Portion of Chesapeake Bay. Mary Fabrizio, VIMS. $450,000.
G) Estimate and Assess Social and Economic Importance and Value of Menhaden to
Chesapeake Bay Stakeholders and Region (3 Year Study) – Year 2. James Kirkley,
VIMS. $236,479.
H) Enhancement of Sentinel Reefs for the Virginia Artificial Reef Network. Rom
Lipcius, VIMS. $153,946.
I) Habitat Suitability for Artificial Recreational Fish and Oyster Reefs. Rochelle Seitz,
VIMS. $61,076.
J) Enhancing Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) Habitat: Research and Education
for Restoration (Year 14). Robert Orth, VIMS. $90,000.
K) 2008 Deployment of Artificial Reef Structure. Mike Meier, VMRC. $500,000.
V. New Projects.
L) Buckroe Beach Saltwater Fishing Pier. Fred Whitley, City of Hampton. $500,000.
M) Data collection and analysis in support of single and multispecies stock assessments
in Chesapeake Bay: the Chesapeake Bay Multispecies Monitoring and Assessment
Program (ChesMMAP). R. Latour, C. Bonzek, VIMS. $494,928.
VI. Dates for Future First Cycle 2008 RFAB Meetings.
Work Session (5:30 p.m.) & Final Recommendations (7 p.m.) – May 12