two from the tidewater counties of the Eastern Shore; and two from
the tidewater counties of the Western Shore. The ex officio members
are the directors of the agencies associated with the Board. The
Director of the Department of Tidewater Fisheries is designated by
law as Chairman of the Board.

The Board was created to formulate general policies on conserva-
tion (Code 1957, Art. 66C, sec. 3). It publishes an annual report cover-
ing the activities of the six agencies represented on the Board; main-
tains the boundaries of the State (Code 1957, Art. 66C, secs. 31-32);
administers certain mineral resources under the Chesapeake Bay
(Code 1957, Art. 66C, secs. 22-30); administers artificial islands in
Sinepuxent Bay (Code 1957, Art. 66C, sec. 33); and approves or dis-
approves of certain fishery regulations (Code 1957, Art. 66C, secs.
294,329).

Appropriations 1963 1964

General Funds $24,996 $24,937
Staff: 3.

DEPARTMENT OF TIDEWATER FISHERIES
The Commission

Chairman: Dr. Harry C. Byrd, 1968

Jeremiah Valliant, 1964; Albert Baker, 1965; Louis N. Phipps,
Jr., 1966; Dr. George J. Weems, 1967.

The Department

Joseph H. Manning, Director
Edward S. Digges, Special Assistant Attorney General

State Office Building, Annapolis Telephone: Colonial 8-3371

The Department of Tidewater Fisheries, created by Chapter 508,
Acts of 1941, is the State agency responsible for the conservation and
development of the natural resources of tidewater Maryland.

The Commission formulates basic policy for the Department, subject
to the laws governing various aspects of the tidewater resources. It is
composed of five members appointed by the Governor for five-year
terms, with overlapping tenure of office.

All of the fishery industries are subject to certain legal regulatory
restrictions. The Department is charged by law with the responsibility
for enforcement of all such regulations.

The Department is now engaged in a massive program of oyster
propagation, utilizing deposits of buried oyster shells as cultch. More
than 21,000,000 bushels of these shells have been dredged up and
planted in seed areas and on the natural oyster bars since the pro-
gram was initiated in 1960. Thirteen seed areas in five counties have
been established pursuant to legislation enacted in 1961. Seed produc-
tion has increased from 212,497 bushels in 1960-1961 to 572,732 bushels
in 1961-1962, and 914,000 bushels thus far in 1962-1963.

The present Tidewater Fisheries Department and the laws under
which it operates are the outcome of efforts begun in 1785 when the
people of Maryland and Virginia made a compact for the use of the
Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River. However, it was not until
1830, with the passage of the first fishery laws, that Maryland
became conscious of the possibility of depleting its water resources.
In 1865, the General Assembly passed an oyster license law, and in
1868 it created the State Oyster Police. The oyster police force was
simply an enforcement agency; it did not undertake any constructive