Virginia Oyster Standoff Continues

Virginia likely to pass on $2M for oyster restoration in Bay.

Virginia is prepared to reject $2 million in federal money for oyster restoration in the Chesapeake Bay this year following more disagreements with the Army Corps of Engineers over how the money should be spent, officials revealed last week.

The latest dispute could lead to Virginia receiving no federal aid to help rebuild sagging oyster stocks in its half of the Bay in 2011...

I posted on this conflict previously here. It's interesting the Virginia will apparently go to the wall on this one.  Most grantees would likely give up, and accept the federal governments term for the federal governments money.  Those watermen must need them ertsers pretty bad to cut of their nose to spite their face.

I still prefer the Federal Government (Army Cops of Engineers) approach, large elevate bars of oysters, protected from harvest until reasonable levels of oysters are attained.

"This could shut down the program," said Rom Lipcius, an ecologist with expertise in crabs and oysters at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.

Officials with the Corps of Engineers in Norfolk said that if an agreement cannot be reached soon, the $2 million could possibly be used next year, redirected for another purpose or simply revoked.

Or maybe they could use it for deficit reduction!  Not very effing likely.