The Carbon Trust, in partnership with BrownGreer, a Virginia-based claims resolution firm, have been selected to design and develop a regional fisheries mitigation programme on the east coast of the United States.
The aim of this programme is to provide fair and equitable financial compensation to the commercial and recreational for-hire fishing community from impacts from offshore wind.
For over three years, 11 East Coast states have been working collectively to bring this initiative to this point, engaging with the fishing community and offshore wind developers throughout the process. The Carbon Trust and BrownGreer will work with these states and other stakeholders to launch the design and development stage for this compensation programme.
Jan Matthiesen, Director at the Carbon Trust said:
“We are excited to build on our existing work in the US to support the development of offshore wind in collaborative and sustainable ways in this partnership with BrownGreer. Our work will focus on building a transparent, accessible and equitable process that paves the way for fishing and offshore wind to coexist.”
BrownGreer Partner Orran Brown, Jr. said,
“We are honored by our selection with the Carbon Trust to serve the fishing communities, developers, and states participating in this innovative and historic initiative. As a neutral administrator, we are advocates not for any one stakeholder but for the best overall solutions, and we are excited to lend our experience and expertise to this critical programme.”
The Design Oversight Committee (DOC) and For-Hire Committee (FHC) are being established to provide advice and guidance from the states, fishing industry, and offshore wind developers as we develop our processes, policies, and procedures. We anticipate contributions from each committee, as well establishing robust and meaningful engagement opportunities for the broader commercial and recreational for-hire fishing industry.
The Primary Members of the DOC representing the commercial fishing industry are Hank Soule, Vince Balzano, Joe Gilbert, Roy Diehl, Sam Martin, and Spencer Headley. The Alternate Members are Beth Casoni, Jerry Leeman, Bonnie Brady, Jeff Kaelin, and Lane Johnston. The Primary Members representing the states are Dan McKiernan, Joe Cimino, and Todd Janeski. The Alternate Members are Erin Wilkinson, Julia Socrates, and Carrie Kennedy. The Primary Members representing the offshore wind industry are Brian Krevor, Emily Rochon, and Rick Robins. The Alternate Members are Ruth Perry, Doug Copeland, and Ross Pearsall.
The Primary Members of the FHC representing the recreational fishing industry are Rick Bellavance, Bob Rush, and Rom Whitaker. The Alternate Member is Mike Cerchio. The Primary Member representing the states is Renee Zobel and the Alternate Member Joe Cimino. The offshore wind industry will also have representation on the FHC, and these members are pending final determination by this caucus.