1428                             Laws of Maryland                        [Ch. 813

CHAPTER 813
(House Bill 142)

AN ACT to add new Section 707A to Article 66C of the Annotated
Code of Maryland (1957 Edition), title "Natural Resources", sub-
title "Oysters and Clams", to follow immediately after Section 707
thereof, to provide for a shellfish population survey of submerged
bottoms in Talbot County, the designation of commercially pro-
ductive oyster and clam areas in such waters and on certain
charts and preserving existing leases in such waters.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Section 707A be and it is hereby added to Article 66C of the
Annotated Code of Maryland (1957 Edition), title "Natural Re-
sources", sub-title, "Oysters and Clams", to follow immediately after
Section 707 thereof and to read as follows:

707A.

The Commission of Tidewater Fisheries and the Department of
Research and Education shall conduct a quantitative shellfish popu-
lation survey in Talbot County, upon the petition of ten (10) licensed
Talbot County clam dredgers or ten (10) licensed Talbot County

Oystermen, which said petition shall be in writing, contain notar-

ized signatures, and designate with reasonable certainty the area
or bottom to be re-surveyed. All submerged bottom determined, after

such survey, to contain at least four or more oysters per square yard

within the bounds of any area of not less than one-quarter (1/4) of

an acre shall be designated a commercially productive oyster area and
shall be allocated and reserved for the production of oysters, and

all such areas containing less than four oysters per square yard

within the bounds of any area of not less than one-quarter (1/4) of

an acre shall be designated a commercially productive soft clam area,
and shall be allocated and reserved for the production of soft clams.

The Commission of Tidewater Fisheries shall thereafter amend

its charts or prepare new charts of Talbot County and shall cause

to be marked or defined as accurately as possible thereon the correct
location and bounds of such commercially productive oyster areas
and commercially productive clam area than existing in the area

surveyed. Within sixty (60) days after such survey, a copy of such

amended charts or new charts shall be deposited with the Commis-

sion of Tidewater Fisheries and another copy sent to the Clerk of
the Circuit Court, Easton, Maryland. No existing lease shall be in-
validated either in whole or in part by facts determined in any such

survey or re-survey unless the lessee shall forfeit his lease volun-

tarily, or by non payment of rental or other fees.

THE COMMISSION OF TIDEWATER FISHERIES SHALL
CONDUCT, WITH THE COOPERATION OF THE DEPARTMENT
OF RESEARCH AND EDUCATION, A COMPLETE QUANTITA-

Explanation: Italics indicate new matter added to existing law.

[Brackets] indicate matter stricken from existing law.
CAPITALS indicate amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken out of bill.