ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Maryland has announced a new plan for oyster restoration.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources released the plan Friday. It intends to recommend Breton Bay and the upper St. Mary’s River as the fourth and fifth tributaries to satisfy the state’s commitment restoring native oyster habitat and populations in five tributaries by 2025.
The department says the selection complements ongoing large-scale oyster restoration activities in Harris Creek, the Little Choptank River and the Tred Avon River.
Alison Prost, executive director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, says St. Mary’s River meets the state’s criteria for restoration work, but Breton Bay doesn’t. She says it is a low-salinity area with a history of low oyster reproduction. She says the foundation hopes there will be further discussion about why the area was selected.
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