Second in a new special reporting series on federal infrastructure spending and North Carolina’s navigation needs looks at the federal funds secured to maintain navigational channels and inlets in Dare and Hyde counties.
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New technique using coral helps reconstruct past climates
UNC Chapel Hill doctoral candidate Hunter Hughes has developed a new technique, inspired by seismology, to reconstruct past climates using corals.
NC has $1.3M in federal funding for watershed restoration
Grants from Section 319 of the Clean Water Act are now available for communities to address pollution from stormwater and flooding.
Topsail Island towns float plan to reduce plastic pollution
Topsail Beach officials are drafting what could be the state’s first ban on unencapsulated polystyrene for floating dock repair and construction, part of a Topsail Island-wide anti-pollution initiative.
Order sets vital climate, equity goals; how will NC respond?
Guest columnist Michelle Allen with the nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund writes that Gov. Roy Cooper’s Jan. 7 executive order sends an important signal on addressing climate change and creating a more equitable future, but swift action is needed.
Atlantic menhaden a small fish with an outsized role to play
It’s a popular baitfish and its commercial uses date back centuries, but Atlantic menhaden also serve important ecosystem needs.
Some N. Topsail Beach owners want Surf City annexation
A group of property owners in the Phase 5 area of North Topsail Beach’s beach nourishment plan says it wants out and to be annexed by neighboring Surf City.
Swansboro to resurvey its historic districts, buildings
The town and its historic preservation commission have been awarded a federal grant to update its outdated architectural survey, which will documents buildings and landscapes at least 50 years old.
Federal dollars now available for North Carolina waterways
Millions of dollars in federal spending are set to be put to use clearing shoaling in North Carolina’s inlets, harbors and channels. First in a new special reporting series.
Elizabeth City civil rights, suffrage pioneer to be honored
A planned historic marker on the National Votes for Women Trail will honor Annie E. Jones of Elizabeth City.
Frustrations mount over imperiled Outer Banks houses
Few options are available to deal with the problem of oceanfront houses at risk of collapse on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, except to try and clean up the debris once they fall.
Nonnative phragmites may help with climate resilience
For years, discussions about the invasive reed focused on eradication, but recent research finds the plant can help protect against erosion and sequester carbon.
Plastic pollution policy stalled but litter hasn’t: Duke study
Duke’s Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions found that the introduction of plastic pollution policies stalled on a national and global level when COVID-19 emerged, but the fight against plastic pollution in coastal North Carolina continues.
Still no answers from sampling of PFAS-laden foam
A statewide investigation of foam containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in areas including Brunswick County beaches has yet to identify the potential sources.
Lionfish an example of needed invasive species awareness
This week is National Invasive Species Awareness Week, and the red lionfish has gained increasing attention since the nonnative predator first began to appear in waters off the NC coast about 20 years ago.
March means the return of trout fishing in NC waters
As the days get longer and warmer and trout become more active, fishing columnist Capt. Gordon Churchill offers his tips on gear and techniques for success.
