That’s the million-dollar question. Though the federal review of the possible environmental effects of the proposed terminal groin on Figure Eight Island is nearing completion, federal agencies charged with protecting birds haven’t yet started assessing what the groin might do to troubled bird species.
Cape Fear Request Draws Fire
A request to reclassify a portion of the lower Cape Fear River as swamp is drawing sharp criticism from some members of the organization asking for the change because it would lower a key water-quality standard.
Coastal Primer: ‘Critical Habitat’
The federal Endangered Species Act requires the protection of habitat that listed species need to recover. But the creation of so-called “critical habitat” almost always leads to conflicts and usually lawsuits.
Neighborhood Gets a Runoff Refit
Some driveways have been repaved and other steps will be taken to reduce polluted runoff in Raintree, an existing housing subdivision in Wilmington.
Bald Head Seeks Permit for Terminal Groin
Bald Head Island could become the first N.C. community to build a terminal groin since lawmakers reversed the ban on such structures. First, they must clear a number of hurdles.
Marina to CRC: Help Our Boats Get Wet
Boats launching from a Wilmington marina can only access the Cape Fear River at high tide. Marina owners turn to the Coastal Resources Commission today in hopes of a solution.
County to Birds: You’re on Your Own
New Hanover County wants to be relieved of monitoring shorebirds at relocated Mason Inlet after a third of the way through a 30-year commitment.
Groups: Figure Eight Groin for the Birds
Figuratively speaking, that is. The feathered kind, like the little piping plover, will likely suffer if Figure Eight Island builds its proposed terminal groin at Rich Inlet, environmentalists say.
Sunset Beach Plan May Not Stop Project
The town’s land-use plan may not stop a proposed project to build 23 oceanfront houses on land that was once an inlet.
Isolated Wetlands: A Primer
What’s so “isolated” about them and why do some legislators want to remove state protections?
A Bang for the Oyster Buck
Restoring oyster reefs and building marshes are good for the coastal environment and economy, bringing jobs and tax revenue to local communities, according to a recent federal study.
Groups Critical of Ports’ Wood Pellet Studies
The Ports Authority claims that wood pellet plants in Morehead City and Wilmington would have no significant effects on the environment. Others seek a more thorough evaluation.
Sutton Ponds: An Open-Ended Priority
In the last of two parts, we’ll uncover what is being done to clean up the two million tons of toxic coal ash that leaks slowly from unlined ponds at the Sutton power plant outside of Wilmington.
Sutton Ponds: A Looming Threat?
The two coal ash ponds at the L.V. Sutton power plant near Wilmington are leaking heavy metals into the groundwater and a nearby lake. We’ll take the next two days to describe what’s in the old ponds and what Duke Energy plans to do about it.
Developer Wants to Build in Old Hazard Area
Two months after the state’s controversial decision to remove an old inlet on Sunset Beach from its inlet-hazard zone, a developer announced plans to put 23 homes there.
Oldest Groin Project Gets New Location
In an attempt to appease reluctant property owners, those pushing for a terminal groin on Figure Eight Island have proposed moving it farther north.
