Virginia Coastal Program News

Fall 97 Issue

The articles below were published in an archival issue of the Virginia Coastal Program News.  Please be aware that information contained in these articles are dated, and phone numbers and e-mail addresses may no longer be valid.  For more information on the current status of the programs or projects mentioned in these articles, contact the newsletter editor.

Restoring Life in Magothy Bay

In years past, thousands of Virginians relied on the direct harvest, processing and sale of what seemed to be a never-ending source of fish. From the early to the mid-1900s more than 1 million bushels of oysters (25 percent to 30 percent of Virginia's entire harvest) came from the seaside's 40,000-plus acres of public oyster grounds. In addition, annual harvests yielded millions of bushels of crabs and thousands of pounds of clams, scallops and finfish.

Beginning in the mid-1930s, seafood harvests declined dramatically. Today, only a fraction of individuals still make a part-time living from the harvest of seafood from Virginia's coastal bays.

What are the reasons for this decline? Is a recovery of these resources on Virginia's seaside possible?

Magothy Bay may soon hold the answer.

Magothy Bay, located along the southern seaside of Northampton County, is the site of a Coastal Program, multidisciplinary restoration effort by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. They are attempting to restore two of the most ecologically important habitat types within Virginia's coastal zone: oyster reefs and seagrass beds.

Seagrasses were once abundant on the seaside of Virginia's Eastern Shore. The decline of seagrasses in Magothy Bay and other coastal bays in Virginia in the 1930s precipitated and greatly contributed to the collapse of all major fisheries on Virginia Eastern Shore.

Last winter Dr. Robert Orth and Dr. James Wesson interviewed Burnie L. Bell, an 85-year-old lifelong resident of the Eastern Shore and a former seaside fisherman. This interview provided valuable insights into the conditions on the seaside when grasses were present and the changes in the coastal environment and fisheries on the Eastern Shore in the 1920s and '30s.

Eelgrass was the most prevalent species in Magothy Bay. It is the dominant seagrass species along the Atlantic Coast from North Carolina to Canada. In the early 1930s eelgrass underwent a massive decline which has been attributed to a wasting pathogen disease, Labyrinthula. Declines in eelgrass beds due to the disease were most severe in the coastal lagoons of the Delmarva Peninsula of Virginia's Eastern Shore. Then, in August 1933, an extremely destructive hurricane hit the region. By the mid-1930's eelgrass may have been completely absent in the seaside lagoons and bays in the region.

The massive decline of eelgrass and the hurricane of 1933 signaled the total destruction of the scallop industry in the region. The last reported commercial harvest of scallops in the region was in 1932. Scallop larvae are dependent on eelgrass as a settling substrate. Recovery of the bay scallop on the seaside bays of the Eastern Shore will likely not occur until eelgrass is reestablished and returned to its former abundance.

Although the eelgrass decline had its greatest direct impact on bay scallops, once these beds no longer provided buffers from sedimentation and wind and wave damage, oyster reefs were left exposed and vulnerable, as were the crabs, clams and finfish that found sanctuary in the reef flats. Reef flats were once so extensive that they inhibited motorized travel across many of the large flats. Harvesting of commercial species, like clam, crab and finfish, was limited or only occurred during high tide.

With the almost instantaneous destruction of seagrass, these fisheries became completely available for harvest, and power dredging for clams and crabs began. Today, most area scientists, managers and waterman agree that there has been tremendous destruction of habitat and populations due entirely to this practice. As scallops and then oysters declined, fisherman turned to crabs, finfish and clams, and today there is no fishery of significance on the seaside of Virginia's Eastern Shore.

The Magothy Bay Restoration Project, funded through a 1997 grant from the Virginia Coastal Program, will be conducted by Orth, Dr. Mark Luckenbach and Jacques van Montfrans of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, and Wesson of the Virginia Marine Resources Commission.

This fall, the VIMS team began transplanting eelgrass plants collected from multiple sites in the Chesapeake Bay and Chincoteague Bay to Magothy Bay. Using plants from a variety of sites will help ensure an overall genetic diversity in the newly established beds and may greatly enhance the overall success of the restoration effort. Next spring, these plants are expected to begin flowering and producing seeds.

Wesson and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission team will restore oyster reefs in the natural "footprints" of previously productive oyster reefs, which are particularly visible in Magothy Bay. "This project has benefited from the discovery of a large underwater deposit of fossil shells which are located very close to the restoration sites. These shells will be harvested, transported and deployed into four to eight acres of reef structure. We suspect that there are enough shells available in this deposit to continue at this level for at least five years," explains Wesson. The optimal three-dimensional habitat will require 5,000 to 15,000 bushels per acre.

Wesson and his colleagues will also be restoring oyster reefs in other seaside bays in Northampton County. These areas, which will not be closed for harvest, will be used for comparison with the Magothy Bay reefs, which will be closed for fishing and monitored through the end of 1998. Water quality monitoring will be done at sites adjacent to the planting throughout the restoration effort in order to better understand how water quality conditions in Magothy Bay may affect seagrass and oyster survival. The teams also will note what other animals come into Magothy Bay as a result of this restoration effort.

"Seagrasses form the base of one of the most productive ecosystems in the world," says Orth. "Our ultimate goal in Magothy Bay is to restore a sustainable harvest of scallops, oysters, clams, blue crabs and finfish. Measurable improvements in water quality in the region will also result from water filtration by Magothy Bay's restored oyster reefs and seagrass beds."

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Ecotourism in Virginia: How can we ensure its success?

Many of us enjoy the living beauty of Virginia's natural resources, and genuinely care about preserving our heritage. But what we may not understand about the ecosystems we often clamor to visit can inadvertently alter our environment. And a specific or general lack of knowledge about the effects our actions have upon the birds, mammals, fish or plants we admire can result in unintentional harm. If we crowd an animal and disrupt its feeding or nesting patterns, or wander off a marked trail and create a switchback susceptible to erosion, we set a bad example for those who follow us.

Local ecotour businesses introduce the Commonwealth's natural resources to thousands of visitors each year. The Virginia Coastal Program believes that responsible, educated ecotour guides and ecotourists, and an "ecotourism code of ethics," could play a vital role in the future protection and health of our unique ecosystems as well as in promoting sustainable development of a successful ecotourism industry. To this end, the Coastal Program has begun working with Virginia's ecotour operators and businesses, natural resource agencies, and Tidewater local governments to develop an Ecotourism Association and a voluntary, pilot ecotour guide certification program.

Experts agree that ecotourism must be sensitive to and respectful of the ecological limits of natural resources, involve and enrich the local people who are stewards of the resources, and should be, by definition, a carefully planned industry. "By not compromising unique and fragile resources, ecotour businesses are protecting their own assets," says Sarah Mabey, author of a draft ecotour guide certification curriculum contracted by the Coastal Program through a grant to the Department of Conservation and Recreation.

The guiding concept behind the proposed voluntary certification program is that natural resources constitute shared capital that cannot be adequately protected or improved by any individual party. To ensure the resources are protected, private businesses, citizens, organizations and public agencies must recognize their collective responsibility for guarding their assets.

"Ecotourism makes sense for coastal Virginia," states Ms. Mabey. "It can help strengthen local economies through diversification and innovation. It can help protect irreplaceable and globally significant natural resources through low-impact, sustainable use. The keys to attaining this dual goal are communication, planning and education."

Discussion of a voluntary ecotour guide certification program and the future of ecotourism in Virginia was the agenda of a workshop held in Virginia Beach on August 6. The workshop was sponsored by the Coastal Program, the Department of Conservation and Recreation, and the city of Virginia Beach. Twenty-eight members of the local ecotourism business community attended, including guides, operators and outfitters; local and state government natural resource managers; and others interested in ecotourism. The goals of the workshop were to introduce the voluntary certification program concept and work with attendees to outline the necessary elements and steps required to develop a successful ecotourism certification program in Virginia.

Workshop participants were very excited about the idea. "I'm interested in participating in the development of an ecotour guide certification program in Virginia. I believe that a program will help to protect and conserve natural areas that visitors increasingly want to see and experience. The local trips I conduct are to areas of tremendous natural beauty. These areas are not only a special place we all share, but are a special place for the plants and animals that inhabit them. We need to be sensitive to that," commented Matt Redford, owner of Chesapeake Kayak Tours in Virginia Beach.

The group first defined what ecotourism meant to them: "Ecotourism is responsible travel to natural areas that conserves and interprets the environment and sustains the well-being of the local people."

After some initial discussion about the value of a certification program, it was agreed that a program could help:

"I think there is a marketing edge to a certification program," said Bob Callahan of Adventure Alternatives. "Each operator is a piece of a bigger environmental and economic puzzle. Shared resources and training are very important. I think a network of Virginia ecotour guides and businesses presents a tremendous opportunity to strengthen the presence of ecotourism in Virginia."

Pete Hangen, recreation supervisor for the city of Virginia Beach, agreed that certification could give local operators a marketing edge, and help keep tourist dollars reinvested in the local economy. "Virginia Beach has a tremendous natural resource base," Hangen said.

"How can we sustain these areas and help economic development in the city? A strong association of local ecotour businesses could be a great marketing tool for the city and the ecotour businesses, and the minimum standards required for certification would help us ensure quality experiences and a return of visitors to our area."

Ecotourists expect interpretation of the natural areas they visit, points out Chris Mast, developer of whale and dolphin watch boat trips at the Virginia Marine Science Museum. Ms. Mast agreed that the educational component of an ecotourism certification curriculum was extremely important.

"The ecotourist is expecting a certain level of knowledge and ability from an ecotour business. They need to think, 'Not only does this ecotour operator know the material, but I'm going to come out with newfound knowledge.' If they're not getting that experience, they're not going to come back."

Bob Callahan added to that consensus. "Today's clients want to know everything. I feel its important for ecotour operators to have a solid understanding of the areas they open to the eyes of visitors. An ecotour should not just be an adventure, but should provide an educated and heightened awareness of our environment."

Workshop attendees concluded that the first step in development of an ecotour guide certification program may be the development of an ecotourism association. Many felt that an association could serve as an important forum for effective communication, networking and marketing.

"An association is important," stated Garrie Rousch. "There's a motivation to be self-regulated. There's a benefit and a vested interest on the part of ecotour operators to supply quality experiences, and therefore a motivation to provide a standard of operation, which is what an association will promote. An association should represent everyone with a vested interest in ecotourism, including scientists, conservationists, educators and landowners, as well as the businesses."

Rousch, owner and operator of Mattaponi River Company on Virginia's Middle Peninsula, is a former botanist and an environmental consultant.

Workshop attendees also decided that a pilot certification program should be developed for the coastal region of Virginia. This pilot certification program would serve as a model of what ultimately could be achieved statewide. In anticipation of the development of a statewide certification program, attendees agreed that the certifying body, or "Certification Board," should be a statewide organization made up of industry people, scientists, conservationists and landowners, culled from non-governmental and governmental agencies and organizations, academia and museums. This broad spectrum of board members would ensure that all facets of ecotourism are being addressed.

Attendees also stressed the need for a statewide certification program to consider the Commonwealth's ecologically distinct "bio-regions" to ensure that ecotour guides have information specific to their areas of operation. Carrying capacity, or the number of visitors sensitive areas can accommodate, also needs to be considered for each bio-region.

"Carrying capacity should be part of our initial inventory. You have to think about carrying capacity before there is a problem with overuse or abuse in an area," commented Ms. Mabey.

The Coastal Program will continue this effort and work with a committee of volunteers from the August 6 workshop. The committee will continue the task of communicating with others involved and interested in ecotourism in coastal Virginia and investigate the development of an ecotourism association. An open meeting was held in Cape Charles on October 20 to further discuss the development of an ecotourism association and a pilot certification program for coastal Virginia. The Coastal Program also hosted a discussion of the certification concept at the National Watchable Wildlife Conference in Roanoke on November 13.

Birding in Virginia:  Ecotourism has been a flourishing addition to the national and international tourism industry over the past decade. There are currently 43 million potential and current ecotourists in the United States.

Birdwatching, one form of ecotourism, has increased tremendously. More than 25 million Americans travel to watch birds, and 63 million Americans watch and feed birds at home. In 1991, Americans spent 5.2 million dollars to watch and feed birds.

Yet, the tremendous economic potential and ecological benefits of ecotourism in Virginia has yet to be tapped. For example, the Eastern Shore is one of the most important bird migration corridors and stopover areas on the East Coast and provides critical food and habitat for millions of neotropical songbirds, shorebirds and raptors. It is an area of international ecological significance. But in comparison to the popularity of Cape May, NJ, which shares the distinction of being a significant flyway an stopover area, birdwatching in Virginia and on its Eastern Shore is relatively nonexistent.

This can change. The success of the Eastern Shore Birding Festival, funded by the Coastal Program, demonstrates ecotourism's economic potential in Virginia. It also demonstrates the importance of habitat preservation. Held each fall in Northampton County, the festival celebrates the migration of raptors and songbirds along the Delmarva Peninsula and has already drawn in hundreds of thousands of ecotourism dollars over the past five years.

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Virginia Coastal Program Begins its 12th Year

The Virginia Coastal Program received a $2,460,000 grant from NOAA's Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management for FY 1997. Projects began on October 1, 1997.

The program uses these funds for state agency and Tidewater local government projects that enhance and protect Virginia's coastal resources. State agencies and local governments will match the award with $2,019,000 in cash or in-kind services.

This year priority was again given to projects that reforest stream banks and river corridors, restore coastal habitat, and develop tools and strategies for nutrient reduction in our coastal zone.

Habitat restoration is the focus of five projects. Restoration of oyster reefs and seagrass beds will be undertaken by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. Northampton County has received an award to restore migratory songbird habitat in the newly acquired Coastal Dune Habitat Preserve within the Port of Cape Charles Sustainable Technologies Park on the Eastern Shore. Funds also will enable the county to construct a wetland to treat stormwater and help restore water quality in Cape Charles Harbor.

A follow-up award to the city of Virginia Beach will enable it to develop a comprehensive inventory and analysis of public and private habitat conservation and restoration projects undertaken in the city, which will include a methodology for assessing the success or failure of various plant materials and techniques used during these projects. Finally, an award to the city of Portsmouth will enable it to restore habitat surrounding the newly established Hoffler Creek Wildlife Preserve.

Eleven projects will focus on development of strategies to reduce nutrients in Virginia's tributaries. These grants to state agencies and local governments will help the Commonwealth meet its legislative deadline to develop tributary strategies for the Rappahannock, York and James rivers by January 1998.

Four projects will focus on riparian buffer revegetation and education. The Virginia Department of Forestry will expand its tree planting efforts in the Difficult Run watershed, an urban stream in Fairfax County where more than 100 acres already have been restored with the help of a 1996 coastal award. This project includes an aggressive educational and informational program regarding forested buffers and their benefits to the urban environment, including a Homepage on the Virginia Department of Forestry web site.

The Rappahannock Area Development Commission received an award for a nutrient reduction program that will include a riparian buffer demonstration and education project. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Office of Environmental Education, has received funds to produce a riparian buffer information packet for educators and landowners, and the Northern Virginia Planning District Commission will produce a community-based stream buffer restoration educational flyer as part of its technical assistance award.

The Virginia Marine Resources Commission received a grant to develop and implement a three-dimensional aquaculture leasing program and general permits for certain marine aquaculture activities. The Coastal Program will work with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to obtain further research data on the nature of water quality-related conflicts and to identify the various policy options or conflict resolution mechanisms that could serve the interests of the aquaculture industry as well as the other interest groups and industry stakeholders.

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Essential Fish Habitat

The National Marine Fisheries Service has released a "framework" for the description, identification, conservation and enhancement of essential fish habitat. This framework, published as a proposed rule in the April 1997 Federal Register, would establish procedures to meet the requirements of 1996 amendments to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

The act requires that the fisheries service and the nation's eight regional fishery management councils develop guidelines to assist the councils in describing and identifying essential fish habitat for each of the species they manage, in addition to threats to this habitat.

Once adverse impacts are identified, the Magnuson-Stevens Act mandates that the councils and fisheries service recommend conservation and enhancement measures for federal and state actions that would adversely affect any essential fish habitat.

The essential fish habitat mandate also supports the 1997 NOAA Fisheries National Habitat Plan, developed to further the goals and objectives of the National Recreational Fishery Resources Conservation Plan. These goals and objectives include: close ties to fishery management; use of ecosystem approaches to habitat conservation; assessment and management of cumulative impacts to habitat; rehabilitation of injured habitat as a means to reverse the effects of habitat loss; public awareness of and involvement in habitat issues; and a stronger mandate to protect and conserve fish habitat.

The councils must submit amendments to all fishery management plans identifying essential fish habitat by October 1998, which gives the councils about 18 months to complete this work. Comments on the proposed rule were due in July 1997. A copy of the rule can be obtained by calling (301) 713-2325. Please also visit the Virginia Marine Resources Commission website.

Watch for future articles in the Virginia Coastal Program News concerning the impacts of national and state fisheries management plans, including essential fish habitat rules, on Virginia's coastal fisheries.

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Pilot Pollution Prevention Project for Tangier

The Department of Environmental Quality's Office of Pollution Prevention, a non-regulatory pollution prevention technical assistance program, was awarded approximately $21,000 by the Coastal Program to implement and test the effectiveness of a consumer/household pollution prevention program for Tangier Island in Accomack County.

Tangier Island, located in the Chesapeake Bay, is 1.5 miles wide and 2.5 miles long and sits about 20 miles offshore. The island has a population of approximately 650 and was selected as the site of the pilot project because of the benefits that a small, well-defined community provide (i.e., limited geographic area, easily tracked solid waste stream, etc.). It is expected that the lessons learned from the Tangier Island pollution prevention project will be transferable to other Virginia communities.

The project will take one year, and consist of a number of steps. First, a few island residents will be trained in pollution prevention techniques so they can serve as partners in the project. Next, a survey will be conducted that will measure the level of citizen awareness about consumer/ household pollution prevention issues, including nontoxic alternatives, proper handling and disposal techniques, composting, and the environmental and health impacts of improper use and handling of hazardous materials. The survey will also seek to identify which sources of environmental information are viewed as credible to island residents (e.g., school, local elected officials, state government agencies, business representatives, etc.).

Based on the survey results, an outreach strategy will be developed that will include promotional materials and educational workshops. In addition, storage units and signs will be purchased to segregate special wastes and other salvageable materials out of the solid waste stream. Finally, at the end of the project, a follow-up survey of island households will be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the project.

For more information on this project, please call Sharon Baxter, DEQ Office of Pollution Prevention, (804) 698-4344.

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Dredge Spoil Site Restoration in Swash Bay

In coastal areas of Virginia, and especially along the Intracoastal waterway, dredge spoils have accumulated as shipping lanes are kept navigable. Restoration efforts have begun on two dredge spoil sites in Swash Bay, east of Wachapreague, where approximately 16 acres of marshes once existed.

These inactive dredge sites became covered with Phragmites australis, a weedy grass with very little value to wildlife. The goal of the restoration effort in Swash Bay is the eradication of Phragmites and the creation of sustainable coastal habitat of value to wildlife including tidal influence wetland and upland, using native trees, shrubs and warm season grasses.

Funding for revegetation is being provided, in part, by the Virginia Coastal Program. The project is being coordinated by the Virginia Commonwealth University and the Virginia Coast Reserve of The Nature Conservancy. Contributors to the project include the Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Department of Transportation, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Army Corps of Engineers. For more information on this project, please contact Don Young, Virginia Commonwealth University, (804) 828-1562; or Barry Truitt, The Nature Conservancy, (757) 442-3049.

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People Power Saves Habitat

Now firmly established, the Hoffler Creek Wildlife Foundation is proof positive that ordinary people can affect the quality of life in their own community.

When learning of the Virginia Department of Transportation's plans to sell a 142-acre parcel on the shores of Hoffler Creek in Portsmouth, neighbors rallied to save the valuable wildlife habitat from "building as usual." The River Shore Civic League petitioned state officials to reconsider plans to allow residential development and instead to offer this last undeveloped natural area in the city to a nonprofit organization willing to conserve it. The transportation department agreed to donate the site to the city of Portsmouth, provided it be preserved as a natural area accessible to the public.

Now more than two years later, those same neighbors have incorporated with the State Corporation Commission and have built a grassroots foundation with nearly 200 members. The foundation has collected more than $20,000 in corporate donations and has been awarded grants that will total more than $82,000 in local, state and federal monies during the next fiscal year.

The city has rezoned the site from residential to preservation status and has signed a lease with the Hoffler Creek Wildlife Foundation to build, manage and operate a wildlife preserve and environmental learning center at Hoffler Creek. A grant from the Virginia Coastal Program will enable the city to buy the tools and equipment needed to build and maintain the preserve, and to implement a land management plan.

"Preserving our natural heritage is our right and our responsibility as Virginians. What we do today is important to us. How well we do it will be even more important to future generations who must depend on our stewardship," says Randi Strutton, foundation president. "We're just starting, but we have already proven that when all sectors of a community work together, people can conserve resources so vital to our health and prosperity."

For more information on this project, please call Randi Strutton, Hoffler Creek Wildlife Foundation, at (757) 483-3054, or James Gildea, city of Portsmouth, at (757) 393-8836.

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Shad Get a Boost with Boshers Dam Passage

The city of Richmond announced on May 30, 1997, that it signed a contract to construct a vertical slot fish passage at Boshers Dam on the James River. The structure is designed to allow shad and river herring to migrate to their historic spawning grounds on the Upper James for the first time since 1803. Construction is slated to begin by the end of June and to be completed by the end of the year.

Boshers Dam is the last of the five dams in Richmond that have obstructed the annual spring spawning runs of these migratory species for almost 200 years. The dam will open more than 300 miles of the James River and its tributaries to the migrating fish. The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and the National Marine Fisheries Service have estimated that the populations of shad and river herring that will be restored as a result of this project and other efforts in the James, including improvement of water quality, fishing restrictions, and restocking will result in commercial and recreational fisheries valued at $5 million to $7 million per year.

From 1992 through 1996, more than 13 million shad fry and more than 12,000 pre-spawn river herring were stocked above Boshers Dam by the resource agencies in order to "re-seed" the James in anticipation of providing the passage at Boshers Dam.

This long-awaited project represents the efforts of a public-private partnership spearheaded by the James River Association, the Game Department and the city to raise public awareness and funds. A combination of federal, state and local governments, and several foundations, corporations, fishing and hunting groups, conservation organizations, and individuals have raised more than $1.4 million to cover the costs of the design and construction of this project. Governor George Allen and Secretary of Natural Resources Beck Norton Dunlop made personal contributions to the project. The seed money was provided by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

"This is an unprecedented example of support from the public and private sectors to provide an important habitat restoration project for species which are important economically, as well as ecologically, to Virginia," said William Woodfin, Executive Director of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

The Chesapeake Bay Program identified the James River as the second most important river to reestablish fisheries which have declined in recent decades. For more information about fish passage, please call David Whitehurst, DGIF, at (804) 367-4335.

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Riverview Farm Park Boardwalk

Riverview Farm Park, located in the city of Newport News, offers an interpretive trail bordered by wildflower beds, and a 275-foot boardwalk that winds over a saltwater marsh and terminates at a platform overlooking the Warwick River, which feeds into the James.

The Virginia Coastal Program funded the design and construction of the boardwalk and the trail. From the boardwalk, park visitors also can view a narrow sand-spit, which buffers the marsh from the river. The boardwalk provides a beautiful panoramic view of the river and a place from which to demonstrate the delicate ecological balance of the site.

Future plans for the 300-acre park include outdoor and indoor exhibits, an interpretive center, nature programs and interpretive signage. For more information or directions, please call Michael Poplawski, city of Newport News, Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, at (757) 926-8451.

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Coastal Clips:

Natural Heritage Locality Liaison Available

The locality liaison for the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, funded by the Virginia Coastal Program, facilitates access to Virginia Natural Heritage data and technical resources, fostering sound economic development, and demonstrating the natural resource assets of Virginia's coastal communities.

Services provided free of charge to coastal localities through this program include:

For assistance or more information, please contact Cathy Viverette, Locality Liaison, at (804) 692-0984.

Virginia's NPS Pollution Control Program

In August, NOAA and EPA issued final draft findings and conditional approval for Virginia's Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Program pursuant to Section 6217 of the Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization Amendments of 1990. An environmental assessment also was released that assesses the environmental impacts associated with program approval and implementation.

The Virginia program includes management measures for agriculture, forestry, urban development, marina and hydromodification nonpoint source categories, and for wetlands, riparian areas, and vegetated treatment systems.

The Commonwealth's proposed boundary for the 6217 management area was deemed sufficient to control the land or water uses that have or are reasonably expected to have a significant impact on Virginia's coastal waters. This boundary mirrors the coastal management area, Tidewater (as defined by Virginia Code), stretching from Arlington County to Chesapeake and out to the Eastern Shore counties of Accomack and Northampton.

To receive approval of its program, Virginia will need to meet certain conditions, including the development of a monitoring plan to assess over time the efficacy of a coastal nonpoint program, and final development of certain program areas such as management of on-site sewage disposal, construction site chemical control and riparian restoration efforts. For further information, please contact Rick Hill, Coastal Nonpoint Program Manager, DCR, at (804) 786-7119.

Welcome New State Coastal Programs

The Texas Coastal Resources Management Program received its final federal approval on January 10, 1997, thereby becoming the 31st state to join NOAA's network of Coastal Programs. With 89 million acres of coastal land and a coastal population of 4.5 million, Texas will have the fifth largest coastal program in the nation.

On Earth Day, April 22, 1997, Georgia Gov. Zell Miller signed the Georgia Coastal Management Act into law. This signing was the next step to implementing a federal coastal zone management program in Georgia. Georgia now awaits final approval of its program document, which has been submitted to NOAA for review. Georgia is the 32nd and final oceanfront state to become a partner in the federal coastal zone management program.

The Ohio Coastal Management Program received final approval June 5, 1997. This program will manage the natural resources and coastal areas along the Lake Erie coastline.

With the addition of Texas, Georgia and Ohio a total of 27 states and five island territories have developed coastal resource management programs. NOAA hopes to receive additional funds from Congress this year to accommodate these new programs.

Congratulations Texas, Georgia, and Ohio!

New VMRC Permits and Guidelines

The Virginia Marine Resources Commission issued two notices of Intended Regulatory Action in the October 13, 1997 edition of the Federal Register. VMRC, which has lead responsibility for managing subaqueous lands, tidal wetlands, coastal primary sand dunes/beaches, and marine fisheries in Virginia, is developing general permits for emergency situations involving tidal wetlands and submerged lands as a result of the enactment of Chapters 845 and 868 Acts of Assembly 1997. The general permits for emergencies would provide shoreline property owners with a quicker way of responding to catastrophic storm events.

The commission also is finalizing a regulation pertaining to structures used for on-bottom shellfish aquaculture and a general permit for noncommercial riparian shellfish growing activities. This general permit will allow for personal aquaculture activities, often termed riparian shellfish "gardening," so that individuals may grow shellfish in protective structures adjacent to private, noncommercial piers for their own personal consumption.

The commission also has developed a set of draft guidelines for the development and operation of tidal wetlands mitigation banks that will supplement the existing Mitigation-Compensation Policy of the VMRC Tidal Wetlands Guidelines. The guidance will give VMRC, local wetlands boards and other regulatory agencies an additional management tool to compensate for unavoidable, permitted tidal wetlands losses. A mitigation bank is a site where tidal wetlands are restored, created, enhanced or, in exceptional circumstances, preserved expressly for the purpose of providing compensatory mitigation in advance of authorized impacts to similar resources.

For more information, please contact the Habitat Management Division at (757) 247-2252, or examine the VMRC web site.

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Coastal Contributions:

1996 Virginia Outdoors Plan

The 1996 Virginia Outdoors Plan, a comprehensive outdoor recreation and open space planning guide, developed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation, addresses several new issues, including: ecotourism, private property rights, public access to the state's waters, natural heritage resources and private sector recreation opportunities. The plan is based on a statewide inventory of public and private outdoor recreation facilities.

DCR has distributed the plan to all Virginia planning district commissions, local parks and recreation departments, and state agencies. DCR also provides technical assistance to localities and state agencies in implementation of the outdoors plan.

For more information about the 1996 Virginia Outdoors Plan, contact DCR at (804) 786-5046.

Copies of the plan are available for $20 plus postage. The plan can be downloaded from the Department of Conservation and Recreation.

County Natural Heritage Resource Maps

The Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage, has produced color 11" X 17" maps depicting the general locations of natural heritage resources within Virginia's coastal counties, including rare, threatened or endangered plant and animal species, and significant natural communities.

Locations are represented by blocks approximately one mile square in size. These blocks are color-coded to indicate the highest legal protection status for the natural heritage resources within that block. The maps are a useful planning tool as they identify areas of possible habitat protection and restoration, and demonstrate a need for more information about sensitive areas potentially impacted by development activities.

A report is also available which lists natural resources for each county. Additional information about specific natural heritage resources can be acquired from DCR-DNH. Updated maps are provided twice a year at no cost to coastal locality planning departments. These maps are also available to the general public for a fee.

Call DCR-DNH at (804) 371-2708 for more information or to place your order.

Shoreline management in the Bay

This Virginia Institute of Marine Science report describes and illustrates the geologic processes and physical evolution of Chesapeake Bay and its tidal shorelines and explains the relative impacts of the strategies that are employed to abate shoreline erosion.

Included in the discussion is the role of marshes, beaches, dune systems and sea-level rise in shoreline evolution and shoreline erosion. Shoreline treatment methods include, but are not limited to, bulkheads, stone revetments, groins, beach nourishment, breakwaters, the establishment of marsh fringes, as well as no action.

The report was funded by the Virginia Coastal Program and Virginia Sea grant. For more information, or a copy of this document, please call Scott Hardaway, VIMS, at (804) 642-7277.

Other related documents:

Wetlands Mitigation Banking

This book is a critical examination of all wetland mitigation banks now in operation and many that have been proposed. It focuses on the institutional components that affect a bank's ability to succeed on both ecological and economic terms.

It is based on research funded by the U.S. EPA Office of Policy, Planning, and Evaluation, U.S. EPA Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Institute for Water Resources. This study is a comprehensive reference which will provide valuable insight for regulators, developers, wetlands scientists, land owners, resource agencies, ecologists, consultants, engineers, and anyone with interests in wetlands.

The book costs $20, plus $4 for shipping, and can be ordered from the Environmental Law Institute at (800) 433-5120 or (202) 939-3844.

If you would like to highlight a new report, maps, book or other product of value to coastal resource management, please call the editor at (804) 698-4320.

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