The revised log fumigation rules public hearings scheduled for next week in Raleigh and Wilmington have been postponed based on the current guidance to avoid gatherings of over 100 people to help minimize the spread of COVID-19.
News Briefs
Waterways Commission Looks to Dredge Inlet
Dare County Waterways Commission is working out how to have a shoaled area on the west end of the South Ferry Channel dredged before the busy season.
UNC System Prepares for Coronavirus
University of North Carolina System institutions, including those on the coast, are moving to alternatives of in-person instruction in preparation for coronavirus.
Oregon Inlet Boat Ramp to be Closed
Cape Lookout National Seashore’s Oregon Inlet boat ramp and parking lot will be closed for up to a week starting March 23 while the parking lot has a 3/4-inch layer of asphalt pavement overlay placed on top of existing pavement.
NCDOT Publishes 2020 Division Guides
The North Carolina Department of Transportation has published new digital guides for each of the state’s 14 highway divisions, including the three on the coast.
Talk to Focus on Parasites in Coastal Systems
University officials have canceled the “Science on the Sound” lecture series set for March 19 at Coastal Studies Institute in Wanchese “to protect the community and slow the rate at which the (COVID-19) virus is spreading.”
Volunteers Needed for Ocracoke Cleanup
Cape Hatteras National Seashore is looking for volunteers to join in a March 26 drop-in cleanup of debris left by Hurricane Dorian along a 2-mile section of N.C. 12.
Cooper to Speak at Habitat Breakfast
Gov. Roy Cooper is slated to be in Wilmington later this month for the Cape Fear Habitat For Humanity’s annual Golden Hammer Breakfast at the Wilmington Convention Center.
‘Jug Handle’ Bridge Completion Pushed Back
NCDOT representatives during an informational meeting March 5 in Rodanthe said that the “jug handle” bridge was 28% complete as of early March, and that the targeted date of completion had been pushed back to fall 2021.
Duck HOA Appeals Beach Access Ruling
The Sand Dollar Shores Homeowners Association is appealing a Feb. 14 ruling by a Camden County Superior Court Judge that sided with plaintiff Bob Hovey’s claim that a beach access in Duck belongs to the public.
Basnight Bridge Lane Closures to Resume
Daytime lane closures will resume Monday in the work zone around the Marc Basnight Bridge in Dare County, NCDOT announced Friday.
NC Oyster Blueprint Workshop Canceled
Organizers have canceled the N.C. Oyster Blueprint Workshop originally planned for March 16-17 due to elevated concerns about the COVID-19 outbreak and contagion as well as increasing travel restrictions.
Podcast Explores Plant, Climate Connection
Learn about native plants and their connection with the changing climate in a new, six-episode podcast series produced by the North Carolina Botanical Garden.
Air Quality Forecast to Include Ozone
The daily air quality forecasts from the North Carolina Division of Air Quality will now include ozone forecasts for nearly all counties in the state during ozone season March 1-Oct. 31.
NC State Receives $7.4M to Study PFAS
North Carolina State University researchers have received a five-year, $7.4 million grant to establish a Center for Environmental and Human Health Effects of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, or PFAS.
Hatteras Camping Season April 10-Nov. 30
The Cape Hatteras National Seashore’s 2020 camping season at Cape Point, Frisco and Ocracoke campgrounds will begin April 10 and close Nov. 30.
