ORlEANS ANNUAl TOwN REPORt FOR YEAR ... - Town Of Orleans

SHELLFISH AND WATERWAYS IMPROVEMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEEThis Committee is charged by the Board of Selectmen to respond to concerns brought to itby the Selectmen, by the Harbormaster/Shellfish Constable, or by any citizen of Orleans.Responses by the Committee are not statutory or enforcing, but are advisory to all parties,and especially to the Board of Selectmen. The Committee initiates relevant projects on itsown, projects that improve its observation skills and advisory judgments.The members of the Committee come from diverse interests and backgrounds withrespect to the Town’s waters. They represent family and commercial fishermen,aquaculturists, boaters, and waterfront landowners.In 2007, we continued to observe pressure on our Harbormaster/Shellfish Department.The demands for water access, boat launching, parking and moorings increase year toyear and are particularly acute in the summer. The Department improves, administers,and polices our fishing and other water blessings to the benefit of all who use and enjoythem.Fees for moorings and for shellfish permits have fallen behind the averages for othertowns on the Cape, and this Committee and the Selectmen made recommendations forsignificant compensating increases. Town Meeting turned down the recommendedincreases, and forced Selectmen to use only minimal increases not subject to TownMeeting approval. In addition, current Massachusetts legislation is forcing all towns toreduce mooring fees for non-town residents to the same fees as for residents.The restoration of oysters to town waters is very encouraging. Not only have ouraquaculture people been growing them successfully in Little Pleasant Bay, but theShellfish Constable and the town have now grown enough oysters from purchased seedto start moving them into the wild.Jay Harrington as Assistant Chair, and Marty Leonard as Secretary, have provided ableservice to the operation of this Committee.We continue to be grateful to Dawson Farber, our Harbormaster/Shellfish Constable,who shares with and encourages the Committee greatly. He has also helped us to workon such hands-on projects as the maintenance of the herring runs at Pilgrim Lake andat Cedar Pond. Selectman David Dunford has been a very helpful liaison to theCommittee, and we are grateful for his faithful attendance, advice, and communicationwith the Board of Selectmen.Respectfully submitted,Gerry Dorman, Chairman160