Recommendations for the second round of funding through the Transformational Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience grant program include two projects in North Carolina.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Thursday the 32 projects it recommends to receive nearly $220 million under the bipartisan infrastructure law passed in 2021 and the Democratic Party’s anti-inflation measure passed in 2022.
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“This is a historic investment in strengthening the climate resilience of our nation’s coastal ecosystems and communities,” NOAA officials said. The projects to restore coastal habitat and strengthen community resilience “will reconnect rivers to their historic floodplains, outplant corals to rebuild reefs, restore salt marshes that protect coasts from erosion and sea level rise, and more.”
Jacksonville has been recommended to receive $8 million in the first year, and up to $16 million total over three years, to restore critical habitat and alleviate flooding within the New River watershed.
The effort, which builds on the success of the New River Estuary Oyster Highway and Wilson Bay restoration project, includes wetland restoration, culvert replacement, living shoreline creation and planting of 3 million oysters. The work is expected to improve water quality, recreational access and community resilience, officials said.
The Nature Conservancy has been recommended to receive $4 million in the first year, and up to $7.9 million total over three years. The conservation organization is to use the funding to lead extensive community engagement to improve fish passage and increase resilience on the Cape Fear River.
The project is expected to identify and garner consensus around a fish passage solution at two dams on the mainstem river. It will also build capacity for local governments by sharing best practices for nature-based solutions to address concerns related to water quality, flooding and other community hazards.
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For the first round of grants announced in April 2023, NOAA awarded more than $265 million in funding for 38 projects, including $15 million to the North Carolina Coastal Federation.
The Coastal Federation has been using the funds to partner with the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries to restore nearly 120 acres of oyster habitat in Pamlico Sound to complete the 500-acre goal of the Jean Preston Memorial Oyster Sanctuary. The Coastal Federation has been working with the North Carolina State University Center for Marine Sciences and Technology and North Carolina Central University to provide opportunities for underrepresented graduate and undergraduate students studying marine sciences.
