OCEAN CITY — Resort officials this week solidified its relationship with the Ocean City Reef Foundation with an approved memorandum of understanding to better define the different parties’ roles in the thriving partnership.
The Ocean City Reef Foundation was established in 1997 by parties interested in supporting artificial reef development off Ocean City Maryland. The foundation’s initial purpose was to serve as a source of non-government funding to supplement the Maryland State Reef Program so that timely responses could be made when materials of opportunity became available.
When Maryland terminated its reef program in June 1997, the Town of Ocean City assumed responsibility for the permits needed for reef construction under the condition that no city revenue would be spent on the program.
At Monday’s Mayor and Council meeting, City Engineer Terry McGean said because of subtle changes in the requirements for the artificial reef site permits, the town had to more clearly define its relationship with the private-sector Ocean City Reef Foundation. As a result, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was developed to carefully and offiicially explain the arrangement.
“Originally, the program was run by the state but it was abandoned about 20 years ago,” said McGean. “The foundation and the town thought it was still a worthwhile endeavor and it has proven to be just that. It’s made a tremendous contribution to fishing, diving and other recreational activities offshore.”
The town’s responsibility in the program is to maintain the active federal permits and occasionally apply for new federal permits when sites are identified. During a renewal process for a few of the active permits, the town was required to develop a programmatic agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers that carefully spells out what actions must be taken by whom and when.
McGean told the Mayor and Council the reef foundation does all of the heavy lifting, literally, and there is no financial contribution from the town other than some modest staff time on permits. The MOU ultimately approved by the Mayor and Council merely spells out that relationship more carefully.
“The foundation does all of the physical work,” said McGean. “The city just holds the permits because a local government is required to hold the permits.”
For his part, Captain Monty Hawkins of the Morning Star, president of the Ocean City Reef Foundation, said the program is thriving and tons more material are being added to the 13 permitted artificial reef sites all the time.
“We’re growing coral off the coast,” he said. “There is a lot of fishing activity on these reefs. Everything we need to happen on these reefs is getting done.”
For the last 20 years, the Ocean City Reef Foundation has been steadily expanding the artificial reef system off the coast of the resort with eight sites ranging from as close to shore as one mile to as far as 20 miles. In that span, the foundation has submerged tons of pieces of material, from old boats to retired military equipment to discarded construction material, enhancing habitat for fish and other sea creatures, which, in turn, has improved offshore fishing for recreational anglers and created new opportunities for diving enthusiasts.
Among the foundation’s larger projects was the acquisition and subsequent sinking of dozens of retired New York City subway cars in 2008.
