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Oct. 9, 2025 | View News Release
The State of Georgia requests competitive bids for intertidal shellfish water bottom leases conveying exclusive commercial shellfish harvest rights. Intertidal leases are currently available in the following counties: Bryan, McIntosh, and Chatham. A maximum of three (3) leases are expected to be awarded in this application window. Please refer to our shellfish leasing dashboard by clicking on the site below to view all available vacant leases and property details at https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/4d545949181444dab492a7ebdb4dae47.
The dashboard contains all available leases with pertaining information such as minimum bid, estimated usable acreage, and designated use. All vacant intertidal water bottoms have been inventoried and assigned a primary designated use based on existing shellfish resources, substrate type and bathymetry. Intertidal harvest areas with existing wild clam (Mercenaria mercenaria) and/or wild oyster (Crassostrea virginica) beds conducive for sustainable harvest, cultivation and planting have been categorized as a Wild Harvest Area/Lease. Intertidal harvest areas that do not contain existing shellfish resources and are conducive to intertidal oyster and clam mariculture have been categorized as a Mariculture Harvest Area/Lease.
All applicants must complete an Intertidal Shellfish Lease Application that may be downloaded at https://coastalgadnr.org/sites/default/files/crd/Shellfish/Website/Intertidal%20Application%202023.pdf.
Applications should be completed with a primary focus on the production plans and husbandry techniques for either a Wild Harvest or Mariculture lease as designated in the dashboard for each parcel. Applicants should also submit a detailed ten-year management/business plan as a part of the application and will be evaluated and scored using a weighted matrix based on the designated use for the parcel. Acceptable bids shall include no less than the minimum bid as listed per parcel and bids shall be submitted in the form of a refundable cashier’s or certified check made out to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Bids must be marked received at the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Coastal Resources Division’s Brunswick Headquarters no later than 4:30 p.m. Friday, November 31, 2025. Leases will be awarded in partial consideration of the dollar amount of the bid; however, the primary and decisive consideration will be the bidder’s submission of the most comprehensive application including the management/business plan for the property. All selected applicants will only be awarded one leasing opportunity in this application window.
If interested and for more information, please visit https://coastalgadnr.org/commercialshellfishharvest to access the current Shellfish Policy Manual https://coastalgadnr.org/sites/default/files/crd/Shellfish/Shellfish%20Policy_12-10-24.pdf or contact Mr. Dominic Guadagnoli at (912) 264-7218 for details regarding the dashboard, application process and specific bid information for each desired parcel.
Please deliver bid packages to:
Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Coastal Resources Division
Attn: Dominic Guadagnoli
One Conservation Way, Suite 300
Brunswick, GA 31520-8687
