Work is set to begin this winter on Currituck County’s third solar farm, as county officials prepare to consider in the weeks ahead new zoning rules for solar energy projects.
Rising Seas: Park Managers Are Taking Heed
A National Park Service report released in May put N.C. parks at the highest risk from sea level rise and storm surge. Park officials say they have already taken steps to minimize climate change-related problems as studies continue.
Dare Moving Ahead on Inlet Dredge Plan
A private contractor is expected to be selected this month to carry out the state’s new $15 million plan for addressing shoaling problems in shallow-draft inlets.
Carova Beach Parking Dispute Continues
A judge has rejected a request for a temporary injunction that would have halted a new county fee on nonresident beach parking in Currituck County, but a Virginia off-road club vows to keep fighting.
Damaged Pipe Complicates Dredging Job
A project to dredge the emergency ferry channel in Rodanthe Harbor, a critical route for Hatteras Island when roads or bridges are inaccessible, has been complicated by the discovery of a broken culvert.
Bonner Bridge Replacement Work Continues
Work continues on the long-planned replacement for the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge over Oregon Inlet and is scheduled to open to traffic during the fall of this year.
Mid-Currituck Bridge Project Under Review
Depending on the outcome of an evaluation of the 2012 environmental impact statement, the proposed mid-Currituck bridge project could possibly move forward although several obstacles including funding and potential lawsuits could derail the project.
Proposed Rule Would Allow Red Wolf Takes
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, bowing to opposition from property owners in northeastern North Carolina, proposed Wednesday a new rule that would remove the prohibition on killing red wolves on non-federal lands.
Rising Seas Threaten $4 Billion in NC Property
Sea level rise will put about $4 billion of coastal N.C. property value at risk of chronic flooding by 2045, says a recent report, but northeastern counties are among those facing problems already.
Dolphin’s Last Meal Helps Fill Knowledge Gap
A tagged striped bass recently found in the preserved stomach of a dolphin that died 14 years ago on Ocracoke Island has helped fill in blanks in fisheries science.
Ocracoke Express Ferry Expected This Fall
The Ocracoke Express Ferry is expected to be delivered later this fall, when the ferry will undergo sea trials, and be ready for operation in spring 2019.
Gator Sparks Interest As State OKs Hunting
A big alligator in a neighborhood canal in Kitty Hawk last week prompted headlines and concern but the state’s new management strategy of “population reduction hunts” has yet to see any permit seekers.
Prospects Dim for Endangered Red Wolves
Conditions in northeastern North Carolina are unfavorable for sustaining the dwindling population of red wolves, according to an assessment released last week, but wildlife officials say they’re not giving up on recovery.
Cooper Talks Offshore Drilling, Renewables
Gov. Roy Cooper, during a stop on the Outer Banks last week, discussed his administration’s focus on protecting the coastal environment, the risks posed by offshore drilling and the benefits of renewable energy.
NPS Removes Asphalt from Hatteras Beach
Cape Hatteras National Seashore staff have removed from Lighthouse Beach chunks of asphalt recently exposed by a series of storms.
Hyde County Adopts Derelict Vessel Rule
Hyde this week became the fourth coastal N.C. county to approve an ordinance addressing the problem of abandoned vessels in public waters, the county’s first step that applies only to Ocracoke’s harbor.
