On November 1, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. at Winslow Park (Pavilion), 50 Winslow Park Road, Freeport, Maine, a public scoping session will be conducted by Kenneth Curtis Sparta on a proposed standard aquaculture lease application for the suspended and bottom culture of American/Eastern oysters, European oysters, sea scallops, quahogs, and marine algae on a 8.25-acre site located west of Crab Island, Casco Bay, Freeport. If the scoping session listed above is postponed, it will be held on November 8, 2020 at the same time and location. Notice of a cancellation will be posted on the Department’s website and a notice will be posted at https://www.maine.gov/dmr/index.html under “Meetings.”

A scoping session provides an opportunity for the public to learn about a proposed lease and to have an informal discussion with the applicant about the proposal. A copy of the lease application is available on DMRs website at: https://www.maine.gov/dmr/aquaculture/leases/draftstandardapps.html . Applications are listed alphabetically.

You can attend the meeting in person, remotely, or submit written comments on the proposal. The deadline for submitting written comments is 5:00 p.m. on November 15, 2020. Written comments or questions may be sent via mail or e-mail to Department of Marine Resources, Attn: Aquaculture Division, 21 State House Station, August, ME 04333-0021 or DMRAquaculture@maine.gov . All written comments will be forwarded to the applicant for their consideration as they work on their final proposal. Remote participation in this meeting is also possible via Zoom. For more information about joining the meeting remotely, please visit: http://www.maine.gov/dmr/aquaculture/leases/draftstandardapps.html

How You Can Participate

Speaker: Natalie Springuel, Maine Sea Grant

***This talk is  free and available virtually via Zoom. Registration is required. Go to umaine.edu/mitchellcenter to register and receive Zoom connection information.***

Scattered among Maine’s coastal communities, in historical societies, museums, libraries, community radio stations and schools, the voices of Maine’s fishing community members have been recorded for posterity. These voices can illustrate the past and help us plan for the future. With ecological shifts happening today as a result of climate change and other drivers, the local fisheries knowledge contained in Maine’s rich oral history archives is a critical source of information about ecology and coastal communities. But not if the recordings are sitting on shelves collecting dust. This talk will reflect an effort to bring those stories to life. Through audio clips past and present, maps, diagrams, timelines, and photos, the project aims to bring life back to these stories so they can be useful for decision-making, community development and cultural heritage.

Natalie Springuel has been a marine extension associate with Maine Sea Grant since 2000. Based at College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, her extension programs address working waterfronts and coastal access, fisheries heritage, and sustainable tourism planning. She is the coordinator of the Downeast Fisheries Trail, a founder of the National Working Waterfront Network, and host of the award winning public affairs show on WERU Community Radio called Coastal Conversations.

See the full series of fall 2020 Sustainability Talks on our website.

AQUACULTURE PUBLIC SCOPING SESSION

November 9, 2020, 6:00 p.m.

South Bristol Town Hall, 470 Clarks Cove Road, Walpole, ME 04573

 Maine DMR has received a draft aquaculture lease application for the following:

If the scoping session listed above is cancelled, an alternate scoping session will be held on November 10, 2020 the same time and location. Notice of a cancellation will be posted on the Department’s website.

What is a scoping session?

A scoping session is a meeting where the applicant explains their tentative proposal to members of the public. It’s an opportunity for members of the public to provide feedback on the proposal, prior to the applicant submitting a final application and an eventual public hearing. This meeting does not determine whether the proposal will be granted.

How to participate:

You can participate remotely or submit written comments on the proposal. The deadline for submitting written comments is 5:00 p.m. on November 27, 2020. All written
comments will be forwarded to the applicant for their consideration as they work on their final proposal. A copy of the draft lease application is available on DMR’s website at:
http://www.maine.gov/dmr/aquaculture/leases/draftstandardapps.html. For Zoom
access information, please visit:http://www.maine.gov/dmr/aquaculture/leases/draftstandardapps.html.

If you have questions about the proposal, please contact the applicant whose contact information is in the draft proposal.

Written comments or questions may be sent via mail or e-mail to:

Department of Marine Resources
Attn: Aquaculture Division
21 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0021
DMRaquaculture@maine.gov

For disability accommodations, contact Meredith Mendelson at (207) 624-6553 or
meredith.mendelson@maine.gov; or 877-243-2823, TTY 711

AQUACULTURE PUBLIC SCOPING SESSION

November 12, 2020, 6:00 p.m.

Remote scoping session conducted via Zoom

Maine DMR has received a draft aquaculture lease application for the following:

If the scoping session listed above is cancelled, an alternate scoping session will be held on November 19, 2020, at the same time and via Zoom. Notice of a cancellation will be posted on the Department’s website at https://www.maine.gov/dmr/index.html.

What is a scoping session?

A scoping session is a meeting where the applicant explains their tentative proposal to members of the public. It’s an opportunity for members of the public to provide feedback on the proposal, prior to the applicant submitting a final application and an eventual public hearing. This meeting does not determine whether the proposal will be granted.

How to participate:

You can participate remotely or submit written comments on the proposal. The deadline for submitting written comments is 5:00 p.m. on November 27, 2020. All written
comments will be forwarded to the applicant for their consideration as they work on their final proposal. A copy of the draft lease application is available on DMR’s website at:
http://www.maine.gov/dmr/aquaculture/leases/draftstandardapps.html. For Zoom
access information, please visit:http://www.maine.gov/dmr/aquaculture/leases/draftstandardapps.html.

If you have questions about the proposal, please contact the applicant whose contact information is in the draft proposal.

Written comments or questions may be sent via mail or e-mail to:

Department of Marine Resources
Attn: Aquaculture Division
21 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0021
DMRaquaculture@maine.gov

For disability accommodations, contact Meredith Mendelson at (207) 624-6553 or
meredith.mendelson@maine.gov; or 877-243-2823, TTY 711

AQUACULTURE PUBLIC SCOPING SESSION

November 13, 2020,
5:00 p.m.
Remote scoping session conducted via Zoom

Maine DMR has received a draft aquaculture lease application for the following:

Applicant Keith Butterfield
Culture Type ☒ Bottom culture
(No gear) ☒ Suspended culture (Gear on bottom and/or suspended)
Species ☒ Shellfish ☒Marine algae ☐Finfish ☒Other
General Location, Town Southeast of Little Moshier Island, Casco Bay, Yarmouth
Lease Size and Term 2.72 Acres Lease Term: 20 years

If the scoping session listed above is cancelled, an alternate scoping session will be held on November 16, 2020 at the same time and via Zoom. Notice of a cancellation will be posted on the Department’s website at https://www.maine.gov/dmr/index.html.

What is a scoping session?

A scoping session is a meeting where the applicant explains their tentative proposal to members of the public. It’s an opportunity for members of the public to provide feedback on the proposal, prior to the applicant submitting a final application and an eventual public hearing. This meeting does not determine whether the proposal will be granted.

How to participate:

You can participate remotely or submit written comments on the proposal. The deadline for submitting written comments is 5:00 p.m. on November 27, 2020. All written
comments will be forwarded to the applicant for their consideration as they work on their final proposal. A copy of the draft lease application is available on DMR’s website at:
http://www.maine.gov/dmr/aquaculture/leases/draftstandardapps.html. For Zoom
access information, please visit:http://www.maine.gov/dmr/aquaculture/leases/draftstandardapps.html.

If you have questions about the proposal, please contact the applicant whose contact information is in the draft proposal.

Written comments or questions may be sent via mail or e-mail to:

Department of Marine Resources
Attn: Aquaculture Division
21 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0021
DMRaquaculture@maine.gov

For disability accommodations, contact Meredith Mendelson at (207) 624-6553 or
meredith.mendelson@maine.gov; or 877-243-2823, TTY 711

Please join Maine Sea Grant, the Maine Department of Marine Resources, and the University of Maine’s Lobster Institute for a series of webinars focusing on collaborative research efforts in the lobster industry. We will discuss what works and what doesn’t, and strategize on how to make collaborative research a priority.

Speaker: Cassie Leeman (Graduate Student, School of Marine Sciences at UMaine), Curt Brown (Ready Seafood), and Eric Payne (Inland Seafood),

Topic: Maximizing Value by Identifying Stressors in the Supply Chain

All webinars will be hosted by Maine Sea Grant using Zoom, and live closed captioning will be provided.

• Join using a computer with this Zoom meeting link, and password: 931345
• • Or join by phone by calling any of the following numbers: +1 301 715 8592, +1 312 626 6799, +1 646 876 9923, +1 669 900 6833, +1 253 215 8782, +1 346 248 7799, or +1 408 638 0968
  • Meeting ID: 977 4697 8357

For those who cannot attend, all sessions will be recorded and shared online following each event.

All are welcome and we hope to see you there!

Please join Maine Sea Grant, the Maine Department of Marine Resources, and the University of Maine’s Lobster Institute for a series of webinars focusing on collaborative research efforts in the lobster industry. We will discuss what works and what doesn’t, and strategize on how to make collaborative research a priority.

Speakers: Aubrey Ellertson (Research Biologist at the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation) and Mark Sweitzer (CFRF Board Member, F/V Erica Knight, Point Judith, RI)

Topic: The Lobster and Jonah Crab Fleet: A Unique Partnership Between Lobstermen and Scientists

All webinars will be hosted by Maine Sea Grant using Zoom, and live closed captioning will be provided.

• Join using a computer with this Zoom meeting link, and password: 931345
• • Or join by phone by calling any of the following numbers: +1 301 715 8592, +1 312 626 6799, +1 646 876 9923, +1 669 900 6833, +1 253 215 8782, +1 346 248 7799, or +1 408 638 0968
  • Meeting ID: 977 4697 8357

For those who cannot attend, all sessions will be recorded and shared online following each event.

All are welcome and we hope to see you there!