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Calming the waters: Oyster farm leases to be awarded

KATERINE SCHROEDER PHOTO | An artifact from when Shelter Island was a key player in the oyster industry of the east coast.
KATERINE SCHROEDER PHOTO An artifact from when Shelter Island was a key player in the oyster industry of the east coast.

The Suffolk County Aquaculture Lease Board took a step toward resolving the conflict between recreational boaters and oyster farmers disputing access to local waters in Gardiners and Peconic bays.

Citing concerns about navigational hazards, particularly with floating gear, the Shelter Island Yacht Club had proposed a moratorium on new lease approvals until a review of the current 10-year program could be completed.

On August 13, the county board declared that it did not have the authority to issue a moratorium, and announced it would approve new leases for 2018.

There were 21 applications for leases in the 2018 cycle, but because of an acreage cap included in the lease program, the county board could only approve nine. There will be a lottery, or “Random Selection Process” (RSP),  to determine which of the applications will be approved.

The 2018 RSP will be held on Wednesday, August 29 at 3 p.m. in the Planning Library Conference Room at the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge.

Subsequent to this procedure, all lease applicants will be notified of the outcome of the RSP.

The successful nine applicants who will be moving forward with a lease execution will work with county staff to determine which one of their proposed/approved lease sites they will be leasing.