North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality staff are to present outlines for the new issue papers for the 2026 update to the Coastal Habitat Protection Plan, the state’s long-term strategy to protect coastal habitat, a necessity for a sustainable seafood industry.
News Briefs
State announces commercial flounder season opening dates
Internal coastal and joint fishing waters will open for the 2026 commercial flounder season beginning in mid- to late-September.
‘Critical step’ in Wrightsville Beach bridges project to begin
N.C. Department of Transportation contractor crews are set begin relocating utilities starting Monday for the project to replace three Wrightsville Beach bridges.
Coastal Review wins five 2026 NC Press Association awards
Coastal Review photographer Dylan Ray is the North Carolina Press Association’s 2026 Hugh Morton Photographer of the Year — one of five awards for Coastal Review announced Thursday.
NCSU, Carteret college OK aquaculture transfer agreement
North Carolina State University and Carteret Community College have signed an agreement designed to create a streamlined transfer pathway for students seeking to earn bachelor’s degrees in fisheries, wildlife and conservation biology.
State wildlife officials launch coastal animal watch survey
Wildlife viewers visiting North Carolina’s southern coast are asked to take a five-minute online survey to help officials better understand the correlation between animal watching’s economic contributions to coastal communities and the state.
DOT to shift traffic patterns on Brunswick County route
Weather permitting, traffic patterns will change Thursday onto the new section of N.C. Highway 211. in Brunswick County.
Officials: lightning strike cause of Brunswick wildfire
A 283-acre wildfire that sparked Friday near Shallotte in Brunswick County has been determined to have been ignited by a lightning strike.
Audit reveals hundreds of potentially contaminated landfills
A state audit released Monday found that more than three-quarters of almost 700 identified landfill sites where municipal solid waste disposal occurred without regulatory oversight have never been investigated by state environmental regulators.
Reide Corbett to pause move to ECU main campus to give talk
Oceanographer Dr. Reide Corbett, who is transitioning to a new leadership role within ECU, will lead a talk this week on Harkers Island about how the North Carolina coast is changing and why those changes matter for places like Down East Carteret County.
Nightly bridge lane closures begin in Wrightsville Beach
Both eastbound lanes on the Causeway Drive bridge over Banks Channel will be closed nightly beginning Monday as part of a project to replace all three of the New Hanover County town’s bridges.
New film series explores NC during American Revolution
The North Carolina Museum of History launched the 20-part “It’s Revolutionary!,” a series that provides an overview of the people, places, and events of the American Revolution, part of its America 250 programming.
Residents urged to conserve water as drought persists
Dry conditions continue across North Carolina this week, despite localized heavy rainfall in portions of the state.
State aging agencies offer fans to eligible adults until Oct. 31
The state-managed Operation Fan Heat Relief has been providing fans since 1986 to adults living with disabilities or are 60 and older to help reduce heat-related illnesses and make their living environment more comfortable.
Indigenous group to lead environmental justice conversation
The three-hour webinar set to begin at 11 a.m. July 18 “centers Indigenous knowledge systems, lived experience, and community-led solutions to environmental justice,” according to organizers, Two Rivers Saponi-Occoneechee Association.
DEQ seeks feedback on draft river basin action plans
The public may provide feedback on draft plans for the Lumber and Tar-Pamlico river basin action strategies during a July 20 virtual information session.
