News

This page contains news from this regional office of local, regional and state issues and events. A calendar of events to be attended by staff concludes the page. Use the links under News at the left to view each section or simply scroll down the page.

Your comments and suggestions are welcome.

LOCAL

What is going on at the Southern Maine Regional Office - activities involving the staff.

Clam Management Forms

Annual Review

In an effort to make conducting the Annual Shellfish Management Review as convenient as possible for the Shellfish Committees, this office has developed a couple of new Annual Review Form formats. Both are computer based. The first is a download able Microsoft Word document that is a "fill in the blanks" form that can be completed on a personal computer, printed and mailed or e-mailed directly to DMR. The second is a web page form. It is also a "fill in the blanks" design that when completed is automatically sent to DMR. Click on the following links to access these forms: Annual Review 07 (Word), Annual Review 07 (Web).

Other Forms

Because of the popularity of the Annual Review web form, web forms have been developed for the other clam management forms familiar to the shellfish committees. They include the shellfish license allocation request, the transplant permit and the conservation closure notification. There has also been a call to include a web form for reporting clam survey data. All of the aforementioned web forms can be accessed through this web site. .

GPS-GIS

This office has developed the use of Global Positioning System (GPS) hardware and Geographic Information System (GIS) software in clam flat surveys and wetland alteration reviews. A Trimble Geoexplorer 3 GPS unit with Pathfinder Office GIS software was obtained by the Watershed Division a few years ago. The unit and software allow the acquisition and processing of both location and attribute data. Considerable field testing of the site reviews function has been accomplished and limited field testing of the clam survey function has taken place. Two reports were completed detailing the use of GPS-GIS and can be viewed by clicking on the following links, one for clam flat surveys and the other for wetland alteration reviews. These reports were submitted to the powers that be but were received without enthusiasm. The advent of paperless surveys and site visits, automatic mapping and integration with the State GIS appears to be a long time coming, if at all.

Clam Flat Survey Analysis

One of the services provided by this office is the analysis of clam flat survey data generated by municipalities utilizing the standard DMR survey procedure. This service is provided regardless of the source of data be it volunteers, commercial diggers or consultants. The analysis includes size distribution, average density and estimated standing crop of the surveyed clam population. A projection of the number of licensed harvesters each surveyed flat can support (utilizing a formula developed by Chris Heinig of MER Associates) is also provided. The town of Cumberland was the most recent to take advantage of this service but most municipalities conducting clam surveys in this region participate.

Portsmouth Naval Shipyard - RAB

The Regional Biologist of this office is a natural resource trustee representative on the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Restoration Advisory Board (RAB). The Board itself is primarily composed of local citizens and representative of state and federal government who review Super Fund activities and advise the Navy in the cleanup of hazardous wastes. The RAB meets every two or three months in the Portsmouth/Kittery area. For the latest: RAB Update.

Casco Bay Estuary Partnership

The Regional Biologist of this office is the Department of Marine Resources representative on the Casco Bay Estuary Partnership (CBEP) Board of Directors. He also serves on the CBEP Habitat Restoration Committee and Clam Team. For more information , go to the CBEP web site .

New Meadows River Watershed Project

The Regional Biologist of this office is a member of the Steering Committee for the New Meadows River Watershed Project (NMRWP). The mission of the Project is to protect, improve and maintain the vitality of the ecological and economic resources of the New Meadows River and its watershed. For more information, go to the NMRWP Web Site.

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REGION

What is going on in the Southern Maine Region.

Clam Flat Surveys

The Town of Freeport led the clam survey effort this year surveyed approximately a third of Freeport's productive clam flats in April. Also conducting spring surveys were the towns of Yarmouth and Kennebunkport. Traditionally, clam surveys are conducted in the late fall when the commercial harvesting effort diminishes.

Reseedings

The Town of Harpswell led the reseeding effort for the year conducting four reseedings in March . The towns of Brunswick, Kittery, Phippsburg and West Bath also conducted reseedings this spring.

Strange Clam

A few commercial harvesters have found a clam in West Bath that looks similar to a soft-shell clam but definitely is not. A bivalve with thin white shells about 2" in length and a slightly tapered siphon about 5" long when extended, this clam is an Atlantic Mud-piddock (Barnea truncata). Also known as a Fallen Angel Wing or Truncate Borer, this clam is more common in New York and New Jersey. A boring clam related to the False Angel Wing, its normal habitat is within peat or clay. Its occurrence may be signaling a seawater warming trend; diggers are also reporting seeing more quahogs, which prefer warmer waters.

Casco Bay Estuary Partnership Grants

Red Tide Sentinel Buoy Study

A two year red tide study conducted by MER Assessment Corporation and funded by the Casco Bay Estuary Partnership is into its second year. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of utilizing a string of sentinel buoys across a section of Casco Bay just offshore the inner bay's soft-shell clam resources. Samples of mussels attached to the buoys act as an early warning system for red tide outbreaks. The system worked extremely well last year allowing a large section of the bay to remain open during a red tide event. If this year proves to be as successful, it is hoped that the state will pick up the necessary funding to continue the effort.

Automated Weather Stations

The Casco Bay Estuary Partnership provided the funds to purchase 10 automated weather stations. The weather stations will be distributed to municipalities in Casco Bay interested in conducting water quality studies related to rainfall or to assist in the management of shellfish areas classified as conditionally approved based upon rainfall. The automated systems collect rainfall and other metrological data that are then available on the web. To date, the Town of West Bath is the first and only recipient of an automated station.

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STATE

What is going on at the state level.

Annual Management Review

The 2007 Annual Management Review forms were mailed to all of the Shellfish Committees in mid December with a March 1st deadline. The purposes of the review are: 1) to document and discuss the conservation activities of the past year, 2) to plan and document the proposed activities for the coming year and 3) to determine if the municipality is meeting its regulatory requirements under the Municipal Shellfish Conservation Program - DMR Regulations: Chapter 7. Each program will be evaluated on management performance and reporting compliance; a list of Performance Scores will be mailed to each municipality.

In an effort to streamline the review process, the Annual Review form has been reduced in size. Two pages were eliminated; one was redundant as the required information was asked elsewhere, and the other was thought to be too speculative in nature.

Soft-shell Clam Advisory Council

"The Maine Soft-shell Clam Advisory Council was established to provide a forum for stake holders to discuss issues and policies relating to soft-shell clam management and to resolve problems and address needs through teaming and creative thinking. The Council consists of between 12 and 15 member appointed by the Commissioner and representing the industry, municipal clam management and the scientific/education community. DMR personnel provide support and technical advice to the Council. The Council serves in a policy advisory capacity to the Commissioner." -Excerpted from the Maine Soft-shell Clam Advisory Council Bylaws.
Unofficial minutes of the most recent Council meetings are available.

Closed Areas Online

The Public Health Division of the DMR is now posting areas closed to the taking of shellfish due to pollution on the DMR website. A legal description and map of each area is available. To take a look click on the following link: Closed Area Inventory.

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS

June

2nd: Brunswick Shellfish Committee Meeting
8th: Wells Shellfish Committee Meeting
8th: Scarborough Shellfish Committee Meeting
15th: Yarmouth Shellfish Committee Meeting
22nd: Harpswell Shellfish Committee Meeting
30th: West Bath Shellfish Committee Meeting

August

No activities are scheduled as office staff takes vacation during this month.

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MUNICIPAL SHELLFISH MANAGEMENT