The applications were completed over August and submitted to the MA Department of Marine Fisheries at the end of the month. We received notification that the applications would be reviewed by the local Conservation Commission in October. A decision, approved or not, would come at that time and we’d know if the project was moving forward… kinda..?
The Conservation Commission gave our project a thumbs up – splendid! – but prior to this approval we learned that the Army Corp of Engineers will also need to sign off on the applications. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) also wants a looksy. How long will this take? Not sure.
We’re waiting and hoping that final approvals are received before it’s too late to get the growlines and kelp seed in the water. This “deadline” is somewhat flexible. According to our friends at WHOI, it’s feasible to seed kelp lines as late as January, although larger yields are more common when the seed is planted before then.
Here in MA, it has been unclear who reviews kelp applications, and when. I don’t accredit any individual or organization for this vagueness; rather, it typifies a nascent process with few well-trodden paths. Perhaps our project helps develop processes that make kelp farming efforts easier to navigate; that's an outcome I'll consider just as rewarding as tote-loads of tasty, beautifully brown, nutrient loaded sugar kelp come spring.
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