US Wind officials confirmed last week that the company is developing a compensation program to benefit commercial and recreational fishermen that may be affected by local planned projects.
Two men are pictured fishing on the shore at Homer Gudelsky Park in West Ocean City.
File photo
By Bethany Hooper, Associate Editor
While local officials continue to share concerns about the impact a proposed operations and maintenance facility could have on the local fishing industry, US Wind reported last week that the company is developing a compensation program to benefit commercial and recreational fishermen.
This week, US Wind’s senior director of external affairs, Nancy Sopko, confirmed that the company is developing a mitigation program for commercial and for-hire recreational fishermen. The announcement comes a week after the Worcester County Commissioners shared concerns about a potential agreement.
“US Wind is adopting a compensation program to benefit commercial and for-hire recreational fishermen, a measure BOEM (Bureau of Ocean Energy Management) recognized as effective in our FEIS (Federal Environmental Impact Statement),” Sopko said. “US Wind and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources signed a Letter of Intent in July 2024 to develop a fisheries compensatory mitigation program by early 2025. Such a mitigation program could include financial assistance, assistance with equipment upgrades or training, and other services. We look forward to working with the state on outreach to the fishing community to further develop details of this mitigation program.”
Earlier this month, the Maryland Department of the Environment announced it would forward a favorable recommendation to issue US Wind a wetlands permit for the construction of a pier and bulkhead on Harbor Road in West Ocean City. Last week, however, the commissioners voted to make its opposition known to the Maryland Board of Public Works, which makes the final determination.
As part of their discussions, the commissioners and county staff also shared concerns about a “fisheries compensation agreement,” which was referenced in MDE’s review of US Wind’s wetlands permit application. Bob Mitchell, director of environmental programs for Worcester County, said it was the first officials had heard of the agreement.
“There’s no compensation, there’s been no outreach, and there’s been no communications for anything related to the harbor,” Bob Mitchell, director of environmental programs, told the commissioners last Tuesday.
Sopko confirmed this week efforts are ongoing to develop a mitigation program for local commercial and for-hire recreational fishermen. She said outreach will occur with the assistance of the state.
To support its offshore wind energy project, US Wind proposes the construction of an operations and maintenance facility at 12929 and 12933 Harbor Road in West Ocean City. Currently home to Martin Fish Company and Southern Connections, the properties will be redeveloped to include an onshore office, a marine coordination center and warehouse space, as well as quayside and berthing areas for the company’s crew transfer vessels.
To moor its vessels at the proposed site, US Wind has planned upgrades to the existing pier structure, which would require a state wetlands permit. In its report to the Board of Public Works, the Maryland Department of the Environment last week issued a favorable recommendation to approve US Wind’s wetlands permit application.
In a letter to Gov. Wes Moore (D), a member of the three-person public works board, Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan outlined the city’s continued opposition. Meehan also pleaded with Moore to work cooperatively with Ocean City to learn about the objections to the project, notably the close proximity to the beach (10.7 miles) compared to similar sized projects in other states like Virginia and North Carolina (26 miles).
“It is not too late to address these issues and to relocate this project. Yes, it would take additional time but it has already been 7-plus years and ultimately what is more important, a project that we will all look back and regret or a project that clearly becomes the model for offshore wind development?,” Meehan wrote. “You only get one chance to get this right and I can assure you that if this project moves forward as currently proposed, Maryland residents, property owners and visitors to Ocean City are going to ask elected officials ‘How did you ever let this happen?’ We humbly ask for your support. Ask the right questions. Get the right answers. Include Ocean City in the conversation. I do not believe that state and federal elected officials are truly aware of the total impact this project will have on our ratepayers and resources. Do not let US Wind, an Italian-owned company, take advantage of our State for profit.”