Millions of dollars in state funding are being awarded for beach renourishment and dune projects along the North Carolina coast.
Projects in Dare, Carteret and Currituck counties and in Oak Island have been selected by the North Carlina Division of Water Resources to receive more than $9.39 million from the Coastal Storm Damage Mitigation Fund.
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Funding will go to the following projects:
- In Dare County, Buxton nourishment, $3.6 million and Avon Beach nourishment, $2 million.
- In Carteret County, Bogue Banks 2025-26 beach nourishment design, $663,537.
- Currituck County’s beach management plan, $120,568.
- Oak Island beach nourishment, $3 million.
The applicants are matching the state grants with more than $44 million in local government funds.
“The coastline is one of our state’s natural treasures and serves as the livelihood of many communities in eastern North Carolina,” Gov. Josh Stein said in a release. “These grants will help preserve our state’s beauty, protect people’s livelihoods, and keep communities safe.”
The North Carolina General Assembly funds the Coastal Storm Damage Mitigation Fund to help with local costs associated with beach nourishment, artificial dunes and other projects to mitigate or remediate coastal storm damage to the state’s ocean beaches and dune systems.
“This funding will help coastal communities protect natural resources that are essential to their quality of life and economies,” said state Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Reid Wilson in the release. “By restoring beaches and dunes, the projects will also make these communities more resilient to future storms.”
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The division scores applications on several criteria, including environmental, social, and economic benefits, life of the project, financial resources, and project efficiency.
For additional information about the application process, contact Kevin Hart with the division at 919-707-3607 or kevin.hart@deq.nc.gov.
