ministration. The Assistant Secretary also oversees
the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Commission.

CHESAPEAKE BAY CRITICAL AREA
COMMISSION
John C. North II, Chairperson
Sarah J. Taylor, Ph.D., Executive Director

West Garrett Place, Suite 320
275 West St.
Annapolis, MD 21401 (410) 974-2426

The Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Commission
was created in 1984 (Chapter 794, Acts of 1984).
The Commission monitors a 1,000-foot shoreline
strip around the Bay and its tributaries. This plan-
ning area is critical to the survival of the Bay's tidal
waters, fish, wildlife, and plant habitats.
The Commission regulates undeveloped land use
along the Bay's shores and tributaries and may inter-
vene in local governments' development plans if it
determines the Bay may be endangered. Periodically,
the Commission meets with the General Assembly's
Joint Committee on Chesapeake Bay Critical Areas.
With Senate advice and consent, the Governor
appoints the Commission's twenty-seven members
to four-year terms. They include seven ex officio,
voting members or their designees. The Governor
names the chairperson with Senate advice and con-
sent (Code Natural Resources Article, secs. 8-1801
through 8-1816).

TIDEWATER ADMINISTRATION

Dr. Paul O. Massicot, Director

Tawes State Office Building, C-2
580 Taylor Ave.
Annapolis, MD 21401 (410) 974-2926

Origins of the Tidewater Administration trace to
19th century legislation to safeguard clams, oysters,
and fish. In this century, many duties stem from the
Department of Tidewater Fisheries formed in 1941
(Chapter 508, Acts of 1941). The Department was
reorganized as the Department of Chesapeake Bay
Affairs in 1964 (Chapter 82, Acts of 1964). In
1972, the Department merged with the Fish and
Wildlife Administration to form the Fisheries Ad-
ministration (Chapter 348, Acts of 1972). Duties
of the Fisheries Administration were assigned to the
Tidal Fisheries Division in 1979, when the Division
joined with the Coastal Zone Management Pro-
gram, and Waterway Improvement to form the
Tidewater Administration (Chapter 601, Acts of
1979). Reorganized in 1988, the Administration
oversees the work of four divisions: Fisheries;
Coastal and Watershed Resources; Chesapeake Bay
Research and Monitoring; and Power Plant and
Environmental Review.

Maryland Manual 1994-1995

TIDAL FISHERIES DIVISION
W. Peter Jensen, Director
(410) 974-3558

The Tidal Fisheries Division traces its origin to
the Commissioners of Fisheries formed in 1874
(Chapter 150, Acts of 1874). In 1916, functions of
the Commissioners of Fisheries were assigned to the
Conservation Commission, which oversaw fish
hatcheries (Chapter 682, Acts of 1916). The Con-
servation Department assumed fisheries duties in
1935 and was replaced in 1939 by the Department
of Game and Inland Fish (Chapter 354, Acts of
1939). The Department was superseded in 1941 by
the Department of Tidewater Fisheries, which be-
came the Department of Chesapeake Bay Affairs in
1964 (Chapter 508, Acts of 1941). That Depart-
ment, in turn, was replaced by the Fish and Wildlife
Administration in 1970 and the Fisheries Admini-
stration in 1972 (Chapter 252, Acts of 1970; Chap-
ter 348, Acts of 1972). In 1979, the Fisheries
Administration was reformed as the Tidal Fisheries
Division of the Tidewater Administration. By 1984,
the Division was renamed the Fisheries Division
and, in 1993, it resumed the name, Tidal Fisheries
Division. The Division preserves, enhances, devel-
ops, and oversees use of fishery resources in Mary-
land.
The Division's Fishery Management Program
plants oyster shells for propagation, transplants
seed oysters on public oyster bars, and monitors
blue crab movement to gauge fluctuations in an-
nual harvest. The Program studies young fish annu-
ally to determine reproductive success; monitors
anadromous fish reproduction and harvests; and
supports striped bass hatcheries for research and
restoration. The Program also issues permits for
aquaculture and scientific collections of fish and
shellfish, investigates disease and parasite infesta-
tions, develops and analyzes statistics for manage-
ment decisions, and formulates management plans.
The Division strives to provide maximum opportu-
nities for public fishing within existing habitat while
preserving and enhancing natural resources within
the State (Code Natural Resources Article, secs.
4-101 through 4-1209).
The Division is served by several advisory com-
mittees including the Sport Fisheries Advisory
Commission, and the Tidal Fisheries Advisory
Commission.

SPORT FISHERIES ADVISORY COMMISSION

Dr. James Gilford, Chairperson, 1993

Contact: W. Peter Jensen (410) 974-3558

The Commission advises the Department on
sport fishing matters. The Commission consists of
nine members appointed to four-year terms (Code
Natural Resources Article, secs. 1-102, 4-204).