New Hanover County’s TreeFest Jan. 17-18 at Independence Mall is an annual event to provide trees and native grasses to residents who want to increase their tree canopy.
News Briefs
Heath Remembered for Environmental Laws
A memorial service was held Saturday in Chapel Hill for Milton Heath, who died Oct. 20 at 91 and was influential in North Carolina’s passage of numerous environmental laws, including the Coastal Area Management Act.
State Environmental Commission Set to Meet
The Environmental Management Commission’s agenda for its meeting Jan. 8-9 in Raleigh includes a request to proceed to public notice with the removal of the swamp designation from a section of the Cape Fear River.
Federation Plans 2020 Cleanup, Oyster Roast
The North Carolina Coastal Federation’s northeast office is kicking off the new year with a cleanup Jan. 11 and will benefit from an oyster roast on Hatteras Island Feb. 1.
Duke Energy to Close Remaining Ash Basins
Environmental advocates have reached a settlement with Duke Energy and the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality to permanently close all remaining coal ash basins in North Carolina.
‘Red Wolf Revival’ Screenings to be Held
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will host free screenings in January of “Red Wolf Revival,” a 2015 documentary about the last remaining wild population of red wolves.
State Awards $1M for Access Projects
The state Division of Coastal Management has awarded more than $1 million to eight local governments to improve public access to coastal beaches and waters.
Federation, Partners Focus on Water Quality
The North Carolina Coastal Federation and partners worked together this year to improve water quality by reducing thousands of gallons of polluted runoff, installing almost 3,000 feet of living shorelines and reinvigorating oyster shell recycling.
Chemours’ Air Emission Facility Now in Use
A requirement in a February consent order to hold Chemours accountable for PFAS contamination, the new thermal oxidizer to control air emissions is in place at the company’s Fayetteville Works site and began operating Friday.
DMF Holds Flounder Scoping Meeting
About 50 attended a public scoping meeting Dec. 17 in Manteo to hear from the Division of Marine Fisheries about management strategies for the proposed Amendment 3 to the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan.
Sewer Overflow Reaches Wilmington Creek
A sewer overflow that continued from Tuesday to Thursday in Wilmington resulted in about 2.44 million gallons of untreated wastewater entering Smith Creek.
Coastal Federation Earns Top Ranking
The nonprofit North Carolina Coastal Federation, Coastal Review Online’s publisher, has earned a four-star rating from Charity Navigator for the sixth consecutive year.
Striped Bass Slot Limit to Begin Jan. 1
Starting Jan. 1, the slot limit, or size range, to harvest recreationally-caught striped bass in state ocean waters will be more than 28 inches but less than 35 inches as an effort to reduce overfishing.
NC Counties See Benefit From Va Wind Farm
Economic developers in northeastern North Carolina counties expect to benefit from Dominion Energy’s plan for an offshore wind farm off the coast of Virginia Beach.
Duck Beach Access Trespass Case on Hold
A trespassing case that escalated a battle over public beach access in Duck has been continued until next year so a higher court can rule on who owns the property at issue.
Lookout Pursues Dark Skies Designation
Officials at Cape Lookout National Seashore, in conjunction with the Crystal Coast Stargazers Club, plan to seek the park’s designation as an International Dark Sky Park.