Public hearing set for proposed shellfish leases in Onslow County

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 22, 2025, on proposed shellfish leases in Onslow County. The hearing will be held both in person at the Holly Ridge Community Center, 404 Sound Road, Holly Ridge, N.C. 28445 and virtually via Webex.

The following lease applications will be considered:

• Troy T. Davis has applied for a 9.83-acre shellfish bottom and water column lease in Ellis Cove (Lease Nos. 23-030BL and 23-031WC).
• SeWee Shellfish, LLC (Alberto Solana and Jonathan Kent) has applied for a 1.01-acre shellfish bottom and water column lease in Stones Bay (Lease Nos. 24-019BL and 24-020WC).
• Kelly M. Robertson and Brassai M. Mustin have applied for a 1.02-acre shellfish water column lease in New River below the Highway 172 bridge (Lease No. 24-025WC).
• Middle Sound Mariculture, LLC (James M. Hargrove) has applied for a 9.18-acre shellfish bottom and water column lease in New River (Lease Nos. 24-034BL and 24-035WC).
• Gator Bay Oyster Company, LLC (Nelson C. Bullock) has applied for a 3.82-acre shellfish bottom and water column lease in Ellis Cove (Lease Nos. 24-028BL and 24-029WC).
• Big Cypress Mariculture, LLC (John W. Eynon) has applied for a 2.73-acre shellfish bottom and water column lease in Sneads Creek (Lease Nos. 24-039BL and 24-040WC).

Each proposed site will be marked at the corners with signage indicating its status as a Proposed Shellfish Bottom Lease and/or Water Column Lease and referencing the lease numbers listed above.

Members of the public may comment on the applications during the hearing either in person or online. Those wishing to speak via Webex must register by 4 p.m. Monday, April 21, 2025, at deq.nc.gov/onslow-county-shellfish-lease-hearing-speaker-registration.

In-person participants may sign up to speak between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. on the evening of the hearing.

Additional hearing materials—including the Webex link, call-in number, presentation slides, and biological investigation reports—are available at: deq.nc.gov/news/events/onslow-county-shellfish-lease-hearing.

Written comments will also be accepted until 5 p.m., Wednesday, April 23, 2025, through the following methods:

1. Online: deq.nc.gov/onslow-county-shellfish-lease-hearing-comment-form
2. Mail: N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries
               Shellfish Lease & Aquaculture Program
               P.O. Box 769
               3441 Arendell St.
               Morehead City, N.C. 28557

For more information, contact Marla Chuffo with the Division’s Habitat and Enhancement Section at (252) 515-5480 or marla.chuffo@deq.nc.gov.

At-a-Glance: