February 5 - 6, 2014
Baltimore, Maryland
Offshore wind development is well underway in the Northeast. To date, commercial leases have been sold for offshore wind areas in Massachusetts, Virginia, and Rhode Island, and additional auctions are planned for 2014. To reduce future conflicts between fishing and wind-related operations on the OCS, BOEM is in the process of developing best management practices (BMPs) and conflict mitigation measures to guide the construction and operation of offshore wind development areas.
In February 2014, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council hosted a workshop focusing on best management practices (BMPs) and mitigation measures for offshore wind development in the Mid-Atlantic region. The workshop provided a forum for fishermen, fishery managers, decision-makers, and offshore wind experts to discuss and provide input on the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's (BOEM) Draft Report on Fishing Best Management Practices and Mitigation Measures. The primary objective of the workshop was to provide BOEM with feedback and suggestions for refining and improving BOEM's proposed best management practices for offshore wind development.
The workshop was planned in coordination with, and with financial support from, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. The results of the workshop will be incorporated into the final best management practices document.
Workshop Objectives
- Develop specific suggestions and feedback on the draft BMPs to be incorporated into the final BMP document;
- Provide a forum for participants to share concerns and discuss possible mitigation strategies relative to offshore wind development;
- Improve our collective understanding of the current status, and possible impacts, of offshore wind development in the United States, and
- Identify opportunities to incorporate "lessons learned" U.K. offshore wind into the offshore wind development process in the U.S.
Workshop Documents
- Agenda
- Workshop Overview and Objectives
- BOEM Offshore Report on Best Management Practices and Mitigation Measures
(DRAFT - November 2013) - The Fishing Liaison With Offshore Wind And Wet Renewables Group
Presentations
- Rick Robins - Workshop Overview
- Colin Warwick - Driven by Passion
- Colin Warwick - The Turning of the Tide
- Merlin Willliams and John Nichols - Thanet Fishermens' Association and Wind Farms
- Maureen Bornholdt, BOEM - Update on BOEM's Offshore Renewable Energy Program
- Brian Hooker, BOEM - Best Management Practice Overview