June 15: NOAA Fisheries Seeks Public Comments on Exempted Fishing Permit Application for an On-Demand Lobster Gear Study submitted by the NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center (Find more here).

August 8: NOAA is seeking public comment on potentially designating a new national marine sanctuary in Hudson Canyon off the coast of New York and New Jersey (Find more here). 

August 19: NOAA Fisheries is seeking comment on a first-ever draft Equity and Environmental Justice Strategy. This draft national strategy describes the path that NOAA Fisheries will take to incorporate equity and environmental justice into the vital services we provide to all stakeholders (Find more here).

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Interstate Fisheries Management Program Policy Board (Policy Board) approved changes to the recreational fisheries management programs for summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, and bluefish. The changes include a new process for setting recreational measures (bag, size, and season limits) and modifications to the recreational accountability measures. The Council recommended these changes through a framework action, and the Policy Board adopted the new process through Addendum XXXIV to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and Addendum II to the Bluefish FMP. Approval of this new process is part of a broader long-term effort by both the Council and Commission to improve recreational management of these four species. The new management program aims to provide greater stability and predictability in recreational measures from year-to-year while accounting for uncertainty in recreational catch estimates.

Find more information here.

Find more information here.

While this year’s spring shorebird migration has ended in Delaware, with the shorebirds embarking for their Arctic nesting grounds fueled for their journey after consuming abundant horseshoe crab eggs, the horseshoe crabs continue to spawn along the shores of Delaware Bay. The annual spring phenomenon of nature features the ecological relationship between migrating shorebirds that feast on horseshoe crab eggs to help sustain their long-distance migration from their wintering grounds as far away as southern South America to their nesting grounds in the Arctic – a one-way trip that can span more than 9,000 miles for some shorebird species.

Find more information here.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is providing $13.5 million in Waterway Improvement Fund grants to enhance and improve public boating access, facilities, and navigation throughout the state.

This funding is awarded to 45 applicants statewide, supporting efforts that include new public boating access, amenities, and facilities; dredging of navigable waterways; emergency vessels and equipment for local first responders; and other important infrastructure and initiatives.

Find more information here.

The partnership of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Audubon Mid-Atlantic, and Maryland Coastal Bays Program is continuing an innovative conservation project to preserve three of Maryland’s state listed endangered colonial nesting waterbirds — the common tern, royal tern, and black skimmer.

The project, now in its second year, is providing a floating wooden-framed platform as a nesting site for endangered colonial waterbirds, which have declined by a staggering 90-95% since the mid-1980s due to sea level rise and the erosion of their natural barren sand nesting islands in the coastal bays. The initial year of the project was an immediate success. The platform was successfully used for nesting by 23 pairs of common terns, making it the largest breeding colony of this species in the Coastal Bays in 2021.

Find more information here.

The 54th Annual Georgetown Blue Marlin Tournament fell just short of the record books this past Memorial Day Weekend. With 70 boats fishing the tournament this year, it’s the greatest fleet Georgetown Landing Marina has seen since 2000, a year that hosted 72 crews.

While the bite wasn’t as hot as it’s been in previous years (15 blue marlin, 1 white marlin, and 8 sailfish releases and 3 blue marlin landed) a select group of boats were able to capitalize on the blue marlin heading north. One of those boats is no stranger to the leaderboard. In fact, we’d rank that boat’s captain right alongside some of the greatest in South Carolina, like Capt. Bobby Garmany and Capt. Mike Glaesner.

Find more information here.

Women interested in learning outdoor skills in a beautiful setting can sign up for this fall’s Becoming an Outdoors Woman Weekend Workshop, which will take place September 9-11 at Geneva Point Center on Lake Winnipesaukee in Moultonborough, NH. The registration fee of $295.00 includes two nights of lodging, plus all meals, instruction, and equipment use. Participants must be age 18 or older. Participants will select four sessions from more than 30 different outdoor skills workshops including archery, fishing, fly fishing, camping, field dressing game, hiking, kayaking, rifle, shotgun, nature photography, outdoor survival, campfire cooking, map and compass, and more.

Find more information here.

The New Hampshire Becoming an Outdoors Woman Program (BOW) presents “Introducing Children to the Outdoors,” on July 22, 2022, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Livingston Park in Manchester, NH. If you have little ones ages 5-8, this class is for you. This is a “mommy (or grandma/aunt/caregiver) and me” class that will provide attendees with some tools and ideas to keep children engaged in their natural surroundings through a series of nature-based activities that easily adjust to their learning level and comprehension.

Find more information here.