414/Maryland Manual

INTERSTATE AGENCIES

ATLANTIC STATES MARINE
FISHERIES COMMISSION

Commissioners from the State of Maryland:

William P. Jensen, Tidewater Administration; R.
Clayton Mitchell, Jr., State Senate; August
Berlitz, Governor's appointee.

Executive Director: Irwin M. Alperin

1717 Massachusetts Ave., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20036
Telephone: (202) 387-5330

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commis-
sion is an outgrowth of the Eastern Conservation
Conference begun in 1937. Seven states, including
Maryland, drew up and ratified a compact in
1941. Maryland ratified the compact by Chapter
435, Acts of 1941. This compact, assented to by
the U.S. Congress and signed by the President in
1942, is the legal basis of the Atlantic States Ma-
rine Fisheries Commission, which today has a
membership of fifteen Atlantic seaboard states.
Each state is represented by three commissioners.
One commissioner represents the state agency
charged with conservation of fisheries resources.
One is a legislator and a member of the Commis-
sion on Intergovernmental Cooperation, and one
is selected by the Governor.

Two of Maryland's representatives are from the
Tidewater Administration and the Maryland Com-
mission on Intergovernmental Cooperation. Both
serve ex officio. The third commissioner is
appointed by the Governor for a three-year term.

The Commission advises only, aiding in the de-
velopment of joint programs dealing with particu-
lar species of fish or bodies of water common to
two or more states. These programs may result in
uniform laws or varying but coordinated mea-
sures as the circumstances require. The Commis-
sion meets annually and in four regional groups:
1) the North Atlantic States, 2) the Middle At-
lantic States, 3) the Chesapeake Bay Area, and 4)
the South Atlantic States. In place of special
committees, which in the past dealt with particu-
lar species, the Commission's 15th Annual Meet-
ing created an overall scientific committee to di-
gest scientific material and present condensed
reports to the Commission. A similar committee
was established to report on legal matters. The
technical advice and research facilities of the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service are available to the
Commission and member states. Each participat-
ing state contributes to the support of the Corn-

mission in proportion to the value of its marine
fisheries catch as compared with the total Atlan-
tic catch.

The Commission issues mimeographed minutes
of annual, section, and committee meetings. An-
nual meeting minutes contain scientific appendi-
ces. The Commission also issues printed annual
reports. All are on file in the office of the Depart-
ment of Natural Resources (Code Natural Re-
sources Article, secs. 4-301 through 4-305). The
Commission also publishes and distributes the
Marine Resources Leaflet series, including Atlan-
tic Menhaden, Soft-Shell Clam, Southern Shrimp,
American Lobster, Summer Flounder, American
Shad, Striped Bass, Haddock, Atlantic Cod, Oys-
ter, Marine Bait Worms, Spotted Seatrout, Hard
Clam, and Hard Clam Supplement.

CHESAPEAKE BAY COMMISSION

Members from the Senate: Joseph J. Long, Sr.;
James C. Simpson.

Members from the House of Delegates: Catherine
I. Riley, Elizabeth S. Smith.

Vacancy, Secretary of Natural Resources
Citizen member: Jack. F. Witten
Margaret Johnston, Executive Director

60 West Street
Annapolis 21401 Telephone: 263-3420

The Chesapeake Bay Commission, based on a
bi-state agreement between Maryland and Virgin-
ia, was created by Chapter 674, Acts of 1980. It
resulted from recommendations included in the fi-
nal report of the Chesapeake Bay Legislative
Commission, which indicated the need for im-
proved coordination of Bay-wide management to
meet the long-term needs of the people of both
Maryland and Virginia.

The Commission helps the legislatures of
Maryland and Virginia evaluate and respond to
problems of mutual concern relating to the Ches-
apeake Bay. It encourages cooperative coordinat-
ed resource planning and action by the signato-
ries and their agencies. Through recommendation
to the respective legislatures, the Commission also
provides, where appropriate, uniformity of legisla-
tive application.

The Commission consists of fourteen members,
seven each from Maryland and Virginia. Five
members from each state are members of the
state legislature. Of the five Maryland legislature
members, two are senators designated by the
president of the Senate and three are delegates