Title of Regulation: 4VAC20-650. Establishment of Oyster Sanctuary Areas (amending 4VAC20-650-10, 4VAC20-650-20, 4VAC20-650-30).

Statutory Authority: § 28.2-201 of the Code of Virginia.

Effective Date: June 1, 2009.

Agency Contact: Jane Warren, Agency Regulatory Coordinator, Marine Resources Commission, 2600 Washington Avenue, 3rd Floor, Newport News, VA 23607, telephone (757) 247-2248, FAX (757) 247-2002, or email betty.warren@mrc.virginia.gov.

Summary:

The amendments establish five new shellfish sanctuaries in Northampton and Accomack Counties on the Seaside Eastern Shore (on and adjacent to the Nature Conservancy).

4VAC20-650-10. Purpose.

The purpose of this chapter is to protect and promote the oyster resources within the designated sanctuary areas and to protect oyster replenishment efforts on all public oyster grounds.

4VAC20-650-20. Oyster replenishment sanctuary areas.

The following oyster sanctuary areas are established:

A. The following Oyster Sanctuary Area is established: 1. The Wreck Shoals-James River Oyster Sanctuary Area shall consist consisting of all public oyster grounds with a boundary defined as: beginning at Corner 1 of Public Ground No.1-Warwick County (Lat 37° 04.520'N, Lon 76° 33.7333'W-NAD 1983); thence southeasterly to Deep Creek Channel Marker "2" (Lat 37° 03.609'N, Lon 76° 32.102'W); thence south-southwesterly to James River Channel Marker "5" (Lat 37° 02.345'N, Lon 76° 32.769'W); thence southwesterly to the chimney of a beach house east of the Luter airstrip (Lat 37° 01.666'N, Lon 76° 35.136'W); thence northerly to James River Channel Marker "12" (Lat 37° 03.323'N, Lon 76° 35.169'W); thence northeasterly to Corner 190 of Plat File 16734 (Lat 37° 04.904'N, Lon 76° 34.254'W); thence southeasterly to Corner 1 of Public Ground 1-Warwick County, the point of beginning.

2. Smith Island Sanctuary - Beginning at a point in Smith Island Bay near the western shore of Smith Island, said point being approximately 9,900 feet north-northwest of the Cape Charles Light House and the northern most point on Ballard Fish and Oyster Co., Inc. oyster lease, plat 16613, said point being corner 85, having NAD 83 Geographic Coordinates of 37° 08.3987390'N, 75° 54.0094551'W; thence in a northeasterly direction along the inshore oyster lease line of Thomas J. O'Conner, III, plat 17720, to corner 106, 37° 08.5079488'N, 75° 53.9121013'W; thence northeasterly to corner 107, 37° 08.5406502'N, 75° 53.8494541'W; thence east-northeasterly to corner 207, 37° 08.5420829'N, 75° 53.8281776'W; thence east-northeasterly along the inshore oyster lease line of Mark R. Heath, plat 17721, to corner 108, 37° 08.5446005' N, 75° 53.7907806'W; thence north-northeasterly to corner 109, 37° 08.5895883'N, 75° 53.7864524'W; thence northeasterly to corner 110, 37° 08.6921483'N, 75° 53.6226465'W; thence northeasterly to corner 111, 37° 08.7546771'N, 75° 53.4568175'W; thence northeasterly to corner 112, 37° 08.7754748'N, 75° 53.3619827'W; thence southeasterly along the inshore oyster lease line of H. M. Terry Co., Inc. to corner 18, 37° 08.7544364'N, 75° 53.3207742'W; thence southeasterly to corner 17, 37° 08.7306590'N, 75° 53.2980718'W; thence southeasterly to corner 16, 37° 08.6251318'N, 75° 53.1579039'W; thence easterly to corner 15, 37° 08.6225028'N, 75° 53.1025432'W; thence north-northeasterly to corner 14, 37° 08.6626612'N, 75° 53.0854858'W; thence northwesterly to corner 153, 37° 08.6768312'N, 75° 53.1394736'W; thence along the inshore oyster lease line of Daniel Scott Long, plat 16802, northeasterly to corner 152, 37° 08.7156785'N, 75° 53.0819599'W; thence northeasterly to corner 151, 37° 08.8330482'N, 75° 52.7283538'W; thence, south-southeasterly onto Smith Island to corner 1, 37° 08.4630004'N, 75° 52.6679990'W; thence, southwesterly to corner 2, 37° 07.9690002'N, 75° 53.0919992'W; thence southwesterly to corner 3, 37° 07.9080005'N, 75° 53.4390002'W; thence southwesterly to corner 4, 37° 07.7800009'N, 75° 53.6839996'W; thence southwesterly to corner 5, 37° 07.6540002'N, 75° 54.3200009'W; thence southwesterly to corner 6, 37° 07.3169996'N, 75° 54.6700007' W.; thence northwesterly, off shore, to corner 170 of Mark R. Heath's oyster lease, plat 17456, 37° 07.3524313'N, 75° 54.6976587'W; thence along the inshore line of said parcel, northwesterly to corner 169, 37° 07.3528695'N, 75° 54.7176135'W; thence north-northeasterly to corner 168, 37° 07.4495084'N, 75° 54.7100342'W; thence northeasterly to corner 92, 37° 07.5477653'N, 75° 54.5615711'W; thence northeasterly along the inshore oyster lease line of Ballard Fish and Oyster Co., Inc., plat 16613, to corner 91, 37° 07.6416382'N, 75° 54.4402745'W; thence northeasterly to corner 90, 37° 07.6890220'N, 75° 54.3527929'W; thence northeasterly to corner 89, 37° 07.7661702'N, 75° 54.0839677'W; thence northeasterly along the inshore oyster lease line of Henry S. Jones, Jr., plat 19450, to corner 254, 37° 07.7879690'N, 75° 53.9324560'W; thence northerly to corner 253, 37° 07.8109207'N, 75° 53.9343385'W; thence westerly to corner 252, 37° 07.8094111'N, 75° 53.9916726'W; thence north-northwesterly to corner 251, 37° 07.8582020'N, 75° 53.9962243'W; thence west-southwesterly to corner 250, 37° 07.8535649'N, 75° 54.0512576'W; thence northwesterly to corner 249, 37° 07.9116397'N, 75° 54.0935389'W; thence westerly to corner 248, 37° 07.9113922'N, 75° 54.0976427'W; thence north-northwesterly along the inshore oyster lease line of Ballard Fish and Oyster Co., Inc., plat 16613, to corner 88, 37° 08.0660474'N, 75° 54.1122194'W; thence northeasterly to corner 87, 37° 08.1821017'N, 75° 54.0516546'W; thence north-northeasterly to corner 86, 37° 08.2555945'N, 75° 54.0483544'W; thence north-northeasterly to corner 85, 37° 08.3987390'N, 75° 54.0094551'W, said point being the point of beginning.

3. Cobb Island Oyster Sanctuary - Beginning at a point in Cobb Bay, near the western shore of Cobb Island and being the southern most point of the oyster lease of John R. Mariner, plat 16866, corner 355, said corner having NAD 83 Geographic Coordinates of 37° 19.3528688'N, 75° 45.9182774'W; thence northeasterly along the inshore line of said oyster lease to corner 354, 37° 19.4051876'N, 75° 45.8386060'W; thence northeasterly to corner 353, 37° 19.5182900'N, 75° 45.6662561'W; thence northeasterly to corner 352, 37° 19.6443229'N, 75° 45.5201098'W; thence southeasterly to a point on Cobb Island, corner 5, 37° 19.2960000'N, 75° 45.3319992'W; thence southwesterly to corner 6, 37° 19.2109998'N, 75° 45.4150006'W; thence southwesterly to a point west of Cobb Island, corner 7, 37° 18.9289998'N, 75° 45.5570001'W; thence southwesterly to corner 8, 37° 18.8050003'N, 75° 45.7710008'W; thence southwesterly to corner 9, 37° 18.2650004'N, 75° 46.3249991'W; thence southwesterly to corner 10, 37° 18.1689997'N, 75° 46.6559996'W; thence northerly to corner 11, 37° 18.6160000'N, 75° 46.6279994'W; thence northeasterly to corner 12, 37° 18.7500009'N, 75° 46.5019997'W; thence northeasterly to the western most point of the oyster lease of J. Steve McCready, plat 16371, corner 90, 37° 18.8870550'N, 75° 46.1567968'W; thence southeasterly along the lease line to corner 89, 37° 18.8653681'N, 75° 46.1241425'W; thence southeasterly along the oyster lease line of R&C Seafood, plat 16986 to corner 374, 37° 18.7448511'N, 75° 46.0512077'W; thence northeasterly to corner 373, 37° 18.9339657'N, 75° 45.7191531'W; thence northeasterly to corner 372, 37° 18.9858220'N, 75° 45.6864128'W; thence northwesterly to corner 355, 37° 19.3528688'N, 75° 45.9182774'W, said point being the point of beginning.

4. Boxtree Oyster Sanctuary - Beginning at a point in Boxtree Creek, said point being the eastern most point on the oyster lease of Edwin E. Brady and Marion Brady, Jr., plat 16344, corner 7, said corner having NAD 83 Geographic Coordinates of 37° 23.7990757'N, 75° 51.5561984'W; thence southeasterly to corner 2, 37° 23.6849997'N, 75° 51.4280006'W; thence southerly to a point in Ramshorn Bay, corner 3, 37° 23.5570008'N, 75° 51.4309991'W; thence southeasterly to corner 4, 37° 23.5009994'N, 75° 51.3100008'W; thence southeasterly to corner 5, 37° 23.4050000'N, 75° 51.2529994'W; thence southwesterly to corner 6, 37° 22.8749994'N, 75° 51.5500012'W; thence westerly to a point on shore, corner 8, 37° 22.9039994'N, 75° 52.3000000'W; thence northeasterly to corner 7, 37° 23.7990757'N, 75° 51.5561984'W, said point being the point of beginning.

5. Parramore Island Sanctuary - Beginning at a point, corner 1, in Swash Bay, near the western shore of Parramore Island, being approximately 1,550 feet northeast of the northern most point of the oyster lease of John Barr, plat 19331, said corner having NAD 83 Geographic Coordinates of 37° 32.7759991'N, 75° 39.1639995'W; thence in a east-southeasterly direction, onto Parramore Island, to corner 2, 37° 32.7529993'N, 75° 39.0129998'W; thence south-southeasterly to, a point on shore, corner 3, 37° 32.2970002'N, 75° 39.0090007'W; thence northwesterly, off shore, to corner 4, 37° 32.3579996'N, 75° 39.1610007'W; thence north-northwesterly to corner 1, 37° 32.7759991'N, 75° 39.1639995'W, said point being the point of beginning.

6. Hillcrest Oyster Sanctuary - Beginning at a point in Brockenberry Bay, on the south side of the entrance channel to Oyster Slip and approximately 139 feet south-southwest of Day Marker 14, said point being corner 1, having NAD 83 Geographic Coordinates of 37° 17.3320003'N, 75° 55.1269999'W; thence southeasterly to corner 2, 37° 17.2680001'N, 75° 54.8050006'W; thence east-northeasterly to corner 3, 37° 17.3050000'N, 75° 54.5899996'W; thence northeasterly to corner 4, 37° 17.4090006'N, 75° 54.5039998'W; thence northeasterly to corner 5, 37° 17.5909997'N, 75° 54.4389995'W; thence northeasterly to corner 6, 37° 17.7330004'N, 75° 54.2999997'W; thence south-southeasterly to corner 7, 37° 17.5039998'N, 75° 54.0680001'W; thence south-southeasterly to corner 8, 37° 17.3660002'N, 75° 53.9980006'W; thence south-southeasterly to corner 9, 37° 16.8299992'N, 75° 53.9940006'W; thence south-southwesterly to corner 10, 37° 16.4400007'N, 75° 54.0729995'W; thence northwesterly to corner 11, 37° 16.6400008'N, 75° 54.3490009'W; thence west-northwesterly to corner 12, 37° 16.7200007'N, 75° 54.5290004'W; thence west-southwesterly to corner 13, 37° 16.7550008'N, 75° 55.1040003' W; thence west-southwesterly to corner 14, 37° 16.7039996'N, 75° 55.6450007'W; thence northeasterly to corner 15, 37° 17.0609995'N, 75° 55.0360003'W; thence northeasterly to corner 16, 37° 17.1370004'N, 75° 54.9509998'W; thence northwesterly to corner 17, 37° 17.2660006' N, 75° 55.0820004'W; thence west-southwesterly to corner 18, 37° 17.2610009'N, 75° 55.2330009'W; thence northerly to corner 19, 37° 17.2979996'N, 75° 55.2310007'W; thence northeasterly to corner 1, 37° 17.3320003'N, 75° 55.1269999'W, said point being the point of beginning.

B. Constructed 7. All constructed oyster reefs include all reefs constructed and reef sanctuary areas marked by a "no harvesting" sign provided by the Conservation and Replenishment Department.

4VAC20-650-30. Closure of sanctuary areas.

A. All Oyster Sanctuary Areas shall be closed to the harvest of oysters, except that Seaside of the Eastern Shore Oyster Sanctuary Areas shall be closed to the harvest of all shellfish. Any person harvesting oysters or shellfish from the specified areas shall be guilty of a violation of this chapter.

B. It shall be unlawful for any person to possess any gear that could be used to harvest shellfish, within 100 feet of on public or unassigned oyster grounds, in the area surrounding within 100 feet of any oyster sanctuary area, and such possession shall be considered as prima facie evidence of a violation of this chapter.