D. Reid Wilson Secretary | North Carolina Department Of Environmental Quality
D. Reid Wilson Secretary | North Carolina Department Of Environmental Quality
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality's Division of Marine Fisheries will conduct a public hearing regarding proposed shellfish leases in Onslow County. Scheduled for 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, the hearing will take place both in person at Holly Ridge Community Center and virtually via Webex.
The applications under review include several shellfish bottom and water column leases. Troy T. Davis seeks approval for a 9.83-acre lease in Ellis Cove, identified as Lease Nos. 23-030BL and 23-031WC. SeWee Shellfish, LLC, represented by Alberto Solana and Jonathan Kent, has submitted an application for a 1.01-acre lease in Stones Bay, under Lease Nos. 24-019BL and 24-020WC. Additionally, Kelly M. Robertson and Brassai M. Mustin are proposing a 1.02-acre lease in New River, below the Highway 172 bridge, known as Lease No. 24-025WC.
Further applications include Middle Sound Mariculture, LLC, led by James M. Hargrove, for a 9.18-acre lease in New River under Lease Nos. 24-034BL and 24-035WC. Nelson C. Bullock of Gator Bay Oyster Company, LLC has applied for a 3.82-acre lease in Ellis Cove, identified as Lease Nos. 24-028BL and 24-029WC. Lastly, John W. Eynon of Big Cypress Mariculture, LLC seeks approval for a 2.73-acre lease in Sneads Creek, under Lease Nos. 24-039BL and 24-040WC.
Each site under consideration will be marked with signage at the corners, indicating its status as a proposed lease and referencing the pertinent lease numbers. Public comments will be accepted during the hearing, with opportunities for participation both in person and online. Webex participants are required to register by 4 p.m. on April 21, 2025, through a dedicated page on deq.nc.gov.
In-person attendees can sign up to speak between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. on the day of the hearing. Additional materials, including a Webex link, call-in number, presentation slides, and biological investigation reports, are available online. Written comments will also be accepted until 5 p.m. on April 23, 2025. Submissions can be made via an online form or mailed to the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries at their Morehead City address.
For further details, interested parties may contact Marla Chuffo from the Division’s Habitat and Enhancement Section at (252) 515-5480 or via email at marla.chuffo@deq.nc.gov.
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