Chairman Wise opened the meeting at 2:10 pm. He stated that this meeting would be devoted to the Council’s discussion of marine resource-related legislative proposals currently before the New York State Legislature and he distributed to the Council several bills that had been introduced in the past several days. The Council’s Summer Flounder and Striped Bass Special Commercial Harvesting Permit Work Group will hold a public information meeting on its preliminary findings and recommendations on 26 April 2002 in Riverhead, upon the conclusion of the 2002 Commercial Fishermen’s Forum. Mr. Colvin of DEC informed the Council that Mr. Byron Young of staff of the Department’s Bureau of Marine Resources was feeling much improved after recent surgery.