J. MILLARD TAWES, GOVERNOR                           1469

of this State for the propagation of oyster seed; relating to the
use and disposition of oyster seed cultivated thereon, and relating
generally to such areas for the propagation of oyster seed and
the oyster seed produced thereon.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That a new Section 707 (g-1) be and it is hereby added to Article
66C of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1957 Edition), title "Nat-
ural Resources", subtitle "Oysters and Clams", to follow immediately
after Section 707 (g) thereof, and that Section 707 (i) of said Article
and subtitle be and it is hereby repealed and re-enacted, with amend-
ments, and all to read as follows:

707.

(g-1) The Department of Tidewater Fisheries is authorized to
select and reserve for its own use areas within the waters of this
State for the propagation of seed oysters, the number, size and loca-
tion of such areas to be determined from time to time by the Depart-
ment according to the need therefor. Before reserving an area for
such purposes, the Department and the local committees acting in
their capacity as pro-tempore, ex-officio members of the Department
as hereafter set forth shall first hold a public hearing in Annapolis
if such area is to be located in the Chesapeake Bay or if such area
is to be located in county waters, in the county seat of the particular
county in whose waters the area is to be located. The time, place
and purpose of such hearing as well as the intended size and location
of the area to be reserved shall be advertised twice a week during
the two weeks preceding the date of the hearing in a newspaper of
general circulation in the county, if the area is to be located within
the waters of any county, or in a newspaper of general circulation
in the State, if the area is to be located in the Chesapeake Bay. The
members of the general public shall be permitted at such hearing
to express their views with respect to the necessity, for the area to
be established and the desirability of the intended size or location
thereof. The hearing shall be held before, and the final determination
made by, a committee of 10 persons consisting of the five members
of the Tidewater Fisheries Commission, five members of the local
committee as set forth in Section 707 (j) hereof, when the area
under consideration is located in County waters, which said local
committee shall become ex-officio members of the Tidewater Fish-
eries Commission, pro-tempore, for the purpose of such decision and
shall have all of the rights, privileges and authority of the Tidewater
Fisheries Commission in relation to the matters as above set forth
in this section relating to the area under consideration, including
the right to vote one vote for each of the members of the local com-
mittee. Each of the five members of the Tidewater Fisheries Com-
mission shall have one vote. A majority of the ten votes cast as
aforesaid shall be necessary to carry any measure under considera-
tion as herein set forth. The Department shall keep minutes of the
hearings and shall file in its office as a public record a statement
setting forth its decision and the reasons therefor. If the decision
of the Department is to reserve the area in question, a notice of the
effective date shall be published for one week prior thereto in the
newspaper bearing the notice of the hearing. All seed oysters culti-
vated in such areas in accordance with provisions of this Act shall