Exclusionary Zone Proposals Clarified; Public Can Offer Comments

[NCangler]

RALEIGH, N.C. (July 13) – Two proposals for establishing 100-foot exclusionary zones around nine dams on the Catawba, Green and Yadkin rivers would not ban fishing, provided anglers cast their lines from outside 100 feet, but would prohibit boats from entering the zones.

This clarification comes on the heels of an announcement yesterday that the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has postponed ruling on the exclusionary zone proposals until its August meeting.

Duke Energy has requested exclusionary zones for seven dams it owns on the Catawba and Green rivers; Alcoa Generating has requested exclusionary zones for two dams on the Yadkin River.

Both companies cite public safety as the reason for the requests. Sudden discharges from automatically operated turbines, locks and gates can cause waters to rise rapidly, creating a hazard to boaters and swimmers.

“Duke does not and did not propose a prohibition on fishing within 100 feet of the dam,” wrote Duke official George Gallagher in an e-mail to Commission Deputy Director, Fred Harris. “ . . . it was always our intention that the fisherman would keep his boat outside of the 100 feet but could fish and cast all he wanted to toward and within the 100 feet.”

Because the Commission has delayed action on the rule until August, the agency will re-open the two proposals to public comment from July 17 until Aug. 22.

People can register their comments on the Commission’s Web site, www.ncwildlife.org beginning Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. Click on the Proposed Exclusionary Zone link on the home page. Submit written comments to: Proposed Exclusionary Zones, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, 1701Mail Service Center, Raleigh, N.C., 27699-1701.

If approved at the Aug. 29 meeting, the exclusionary zones would take effect Oct. 1.

For more information, call (919) 707-0014.