"State lawmakers have quashed talks over whether and how to open Chesapeake Bay oyster sanctuaries to harvest, passing a bill that blocks any changes to the protected areas' boundaries for nearly two years.

The measure, approved by veto-proof margins, comes as Republican Gov. Larry Hogan's administration and a state commission were considering a plan that could have periodically opened 11 percent of the 8,600 acres of sanctuaries to watermen.

The bill passed this week renders that work moot, to the frustration of administration officials."

Scott Dance reports for the Baltimore Sun March 29, 2017. [2]