More than $4.6 million will go to coastal conservation efforts such as property acquisition and living shoreline projects out of $36 million in statewide grants through North Carolina Land and Water Fund, the state announced earlier this week.
The fund gets appropriations from the N.C. General Assembly to support projects by local governments, state agencies, and nonprofit organizations that restore and protect the state’s natural and cultural resources.
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“North Carolina is home to remarkable natural beauty,” Gov. Josh Stein said in a release. “These grants will help preserve that beauty.”
These projects, which “will support North Carolina’s $28 billion outdoor recreation economy,” are broken up into four types: acquisition, stormwater, planning and restoration, the North Carolina Department of Natural and Coastal Resources said in the announcement.
Property acquisition projects selected for the coast are:
- $1.57 million to Kill Devil Hills for land at Nags Head Woods.
- $1.06 million to North Carolina Coastal Land Trust for land at Powells Point on the Albemarle Sound.
- $1.27 million to the town of Leland for the Silver Timber Tract – Nature Park.
- $752,000 to the North Carolina Coastal Federation for land in Carteret and Onslow counties.
- $3.5 million to Unique Places to Save for the St. James — Boiling Spring Lakes Wetland Complex, however this is a provisional award and depends on if the funds are available before July 1, 2026.
- $335,000 to The Nature Conservancy for land in Onslow and Pender counties. One of the three awards is provisional as well.
In addition to property acquisition, the Coastal Federation, which publishes Coastal Review, has been selected for just shy of $1 million for the following projects:
- An update to the Oyster Blueprint for Action Restoration and Protection Plan.
- A stormwater plan for the Ocean City Jazz Festival site on Topsail Island.
- The second phase of a living shoreline for Jockey’s Ridge State Park.
- A living shorelines cost-share program.
Sound Rivers Inc. has been awarded $243,200 for a stormwater wetland education site in Craven County and nearly $30,000 for a watershed plan for a section of Slocum Creek.
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A North Carolina State University-sponsored program in Onslow County has been awarded $234,241 for a stormwater infrastructure maintenance robot.
New Hanover County has a $75,000 grant for a Pages Creek feasibility plan.
A statewide list is available online.
Previously the Clean Water Management Trust Fund, the fund was put in place in 1996 to protect the state’s drinking water sources. The General Assembly expanded the fund’s mission to include conserving and protecting natural resources, cultural heritage and military installations.
