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North Topsail OK’d for Dune Restoration

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Trucks haul sand for previous dune restoration work in North Topsail Beach. Photo: Contributed

North Topsail Beach officials say the town now has federal approval to begin Hurricane Florence dune restoration work that was supposed to have begun Nov. 1, 2020.

The project was delayed by a Federal Emergency Management Agency requirement for an environmental and historical review. Planned work includes hauling sand by truck in areas delineated as phases 2,3 and 4. Approval came Friday during a multi-agency conference call, the town announced Tuesday.

Work to restore the dunes to their conditions before Florence hit the North Carolina coast in September 2018 is to begin where a project that followed Hurricane Matthew in 2016 left off, near  4400 Island Drive, and continue north until the environmental window closes in spring for sea turtle nesting season. Any work not completed is to resume in November.

The town has an online interactive map to allow property owners to check in which phase their property lies.

About Staff Report

The story was compiled by staff members of Coastal Review.

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