1154                            LAWS OF MARYLAND                       CH. 596

calculated to increase the productivity of soft shell clams in the
waters of Dorchester County and the Chesapeake Bay adjacent
thereto.

(q) Authority to open and close soft shell clam beds—The Depart-
ment is authorized to open and close any of the soft shell clam beds
within Dorchester County and to prohibit the taking or catching of
soft shell clams therefrom. , whenever in the judgment of the Depart-
ment it shall seem, necessary or desirable to protect or promote soft
shell clams by any restorative measure which the Department may
deem advisable

(r) Procedure for opening and closing areas—

(1)  Before closing any soft shell clam area in Dorchester County,
the Department shall first give notice to licensed soft shell clam
dredgers residing in Dorchester County by four (4) days written
notice from date of mailing, which said notice shall have described
the area to be closed, and the proposed date of the closing; which
notice shall be deemed to be sufficient if mailed to the address of
said licensees on the records of the Department.

(2)  It is unlawful to take or catch, or attempt to take or catch,
soft shell clams, in any manner whatsoever, in or upon any area in
Dorchester County which has been closed by rule or regulation of
the Department.

(3) The Department of Research and Education and/or the De-
partment shall from time to time determine the actual condition of
the shellfish population in the water or submerged bottoms of
Dorchester County, in those parts thereof where the dredging of soft
shell clams is not otherwise specifically prohibited.

(4) The opening and closing of waters and/or submerged bottom
in Dorchester County, may also be determined by quantitative shell-
fish population surveys conducted by the Department of Research
and Education and the Department, the results of which surveys
shall be public information.

(5) Within sixty (60) days after the completion of any survey or
resurvey, the Department shall amend its charts or prepare new
charts, whereon shall be marked or defined as accurately as possible
the bounds of commercially productive oyster areas and/or , COM-
MERCIALLY PRODUCTIVE CRAB SCRAPING AREAS, AND
commercially productive clam areas; which said charts shall be made
available to the public. No existing lease shall be invalidated either in
whole or in part by facts determined in any such survey or resurvey
unless the lessee voluntarily, or by non-payment of rental or other
fees, forfeits his lease.

(s) Legal and Illegal Areas in Dorchester County for Taking Soft
Shell Clams—

(1) It shall be lawful to take or catch, or attempt to take or
catch soft shell clams (Mya arenaria) with a hydraulic or mechani-

cal dredge in all that portion of Chesapeake Bay lying between the

Dorchester Somerset County line and a line running in a northwest-

erly direction from Hill Point to State Dredge Line Buoy Let-

tered BB; specifically that area beginning with the Dorchester
County line running southeasterly to the Holland Island Bar light;