Commission Meeting, July 22, 2025

Date: Tuesday, July 22, 2025, 9:30 AM
Who is meeting: Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC)

Agenda

** APPROVAL OF AGENDA.

1. MINUTES of previous meeting.

2. PERMITS (Projects over $1,000,000 with no objections and with staff recommendation for approval).

3. CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS.

4. CLOSED MEETING FOR CONSULTATION WITH, OR BRIEFING BY, COUNSEL.

5. COCKRELL FARMS LLC, #25-0358 requests authorization to construct and backfill a 387-foot vinyl replacement bulkhead, mechanically dredge 280 cubic yards of state-owned submerged lands with upland disposal and construct a 3,420 square-foot concrete commercial wharf, adjacent to the commercial marina situated along the Little Wicomico River at 309 Railway Drive in Northumberland County. The project is protested by two adjacent property owners.

6. URBANNA BOATYARD AND MARINA, #24-1864 requests authorization to retain an 8-foot by 10-foot open-sided fuel dock roof and a 143 square-foot enclosed storage area, and install 12 (twelve) new boat lifts in existing boat slips at Urbanna Boatyard and Marina adjacent to 15 Watling Street situated along Urbanna Creek in Middlesex County.

8. PUBLIC COMMENTS

PAGE 2 ITEMS

A. KINDER MORGAN TRANSMIX COMPANY LLC, #25-0870 requests authorization to install a 50-foot by 54-inch diameter steel mooring monopile with a 66-inch diameter rock socket situated along the James River, serving 3302 Deepwater Road in the City of Richmond.

PAGE 3 ITEMS

A. LARRY SHORES, JR., #25-0687 requests after-the-fact authorization to retain seven (7) 4-foot by 8-foot crab shedding trays attached to an existing pier, and to utilize the pier for both private and commercial purposes, adjacent to tax parcel 20B-65, situated along Urbanna Creek in Middlesex County.

FISHERY MANAGEMENT ITEMS WILL IMMEDIATELY FOLLOW THE HABITAT MANAGEMENT PROJECTS ON THIS AGENDA.

Commission Actions

** APPROVAL OF AGENDA. THE COMMISSION VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO APPROVE THE AGENDA AS PRESENTED.

1. MINUTES of previous meeting. THE COMMISSION VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE PREVIOUS MEETING WITH ASSOCIATE COMMISSIONER BRANSOM ABSTAINING.

2. PERMITS (Projects over $1,000,000 with no objections and with staff recommendation for approval). ITEMS 2A WAS APPROVED BY UNANIMOUS VOTE.

3. CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS. ITEM 3A WAS CONTINUED TO THE AUGUST 2025 COMMISSION MEETING.

4. CLOSED MEETING FOR CONSULTATION WITH, OR BRIEFING BY, COUNSEL. NONE.

7. SHELLFISH Mark Johnson, Oyster Planting Ground application #2021-016, requests authorization to lease approximately 250 acres of oyster planting ground in the Chesapeake Bay in the City of Norfolk. THE COMMISSION VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO DENY THE ASSIGNMENT OF OYSTER GROUND LEASE APPLICATION #2021-106.

8. PUBLIC COMMENTS There were no public comments.

9. PUBLIC HEARING Proposal to amend Chapter 4VAC20-490, "Pertaining to Sharks" to clarify language regarding the prohibition of overnight soaks for Virginia spiny dogfish permit holders using gill net mesh size equal to or greater than 5.25-inches and less than 10-inches in the Delaware and Maryland Atlantic Sturgeon Bycatch Reduction Area or the Virginia Atlantic Sturgeon Bycatch Reduction Area between 8:00 pm through 5:00 am the following day from November 1 through March 31. THE COMMISSION VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO AMEND CHAPTER 4VAC20-490, "PERTAINING TO SHARKS" TO MODIFY LANGUAGE TO COMPLY WITH ASMFC'S ADDENDUM VII TO THE SPINY DOGFISH FMP TO REMAIN CONSISTENT WITH THE FEDERAL SPINY DOGFISH FRAMEWORK ADJUSTMENT 6.

10. PUBLIC HEARING Proposal to amend Chapter 4VAC20-1390-10, "Pertaining to Shrimp," to 1) Expand the number of limited entry shrimp trawl licenses; 2) Establish an Eastern Shore Shrimp Trawl Harvest Area; 3) Extend the start of the season into September; 4) Modify the maximum dimensions of the shrimp trawl gear; and 5) Amend methods for reporting bycatch. THE COMMISSION VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO APPROVE STAFF RECOMMENDATION EXCEPT TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF SHRIMP LICENSES BY A MAXIMUM OF FIVE, WITH ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS OF HAVING ANY REPORTED LANDINGS BY SHRIMP TRAWL DURING THE PERIOD OF 2022-2024 AND HAVING HAD THEIR SHRIMP TRAWL GEAR INSPECTED BY STAFF AS OF JULY 22, 2025.