Cape Hatteras National Seashore and North Carolina Beach Buggy Association are hosting the morning of June 22 several drop-in volunteer beach cleanups of seashore beaches.
News Briefs
Astronomy Night Programs Resume Saturday
Astronomy Night at the Cape Lookout National Seashore’s Harkers Island Visitor Center with park rangers and members of the Crystal Coast Stargazers is from 8 to 11 p.m. Saturday.
Birding Trail to Open at Manteo Aquarium
The N.C. Aquarium on Roanoke Island will unveil its new nature play trail, “For the Birds,” featuring Outer Banks and migratory birds during Memorial Day weekend.
Dare Board Approves Dredge Contract
Dare County Commissioners approved Monday a contract for the design, construction and operation of a dredge that will clear and maintain Oregon and Hatteras inlets and other shallow draft inlets in the state under the direction of the Oregon Inlet Task Force.
Land Trust Acquires Craven County Tract
The Coastal Land Trust has used money from the legal settlement over the Havelock bypass fight to buy and preserve 182 acres surrounded by Croatan National Forest near New Bern.
NCDEQ to Unveil EJ Mapping System
A state mapping system with a tool featuring underserved communities is being unveiled Wednesday during the Secretary’s Environmental Justice and Equity Advisory Board meeting in Charlotte.
Avangrid Mulls Solar Project Near Wind Farm
An Avangrid Renewables official told an Elizabeth City group that it’s considering construction of a solar project near the company’s 104-turbine Amazon Wind Farm.
Ocracoke Express Ferry to Launch May 20
The Ocracoke Express Passenger Ferry Service is set to begin Monday shuttling passengers between Hatteras and Ocracoke Village, NCDOT’s ferry division announced Friday.
DPS Names Recovery and Resiliency Officers
The newly formed North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency announced the appointment of three resilience officers to lead the state’s initiative to help storm-affected communities recover, rebuild and prepare.
New Buxton Beach Access to Open May 24
Cape Hatteras National Seashore plans to open May 24 the Buxton Beach Access, formerly a U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard base at the end of Old Lighthouse Road, to provide improved public access to oceanside recreational activities.
BOEM Opens Virtual Archaeology Museum
BOEM’s Virtual Archaeology Museum displays video, detailed 3D models and mosaic maps of shipwrecks from the 19th and 20th centuries, including the Blake Ridge Wreck off of the N.C. coast.
Public May Comment on Seismic Plan Review
The Division of Coastal Management is accepting comments related to an application to do seismic testing off the N.C. coast as questions about the firm’s plans remain unanswered.
DEQ to Test New Hanover Wells for PFAS
The state plans to begin testing groundwater from monitoring wells in New Hanover County after learning PFAS compounds were detected in six of 25 wells that provide water to a Cape Fear Public Utility Authority plant.
State Gets Grant to Buy Meter Point Tract
A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service grant will allow the state Division of Coastal Management to add more than 35 acres on Little Colington Island to the Kitty Hawk Woods Coastal Reserve.
Tillis: ‘Lake Mattamuskeet Needs Our Help’
Sen. Thom Tillis writes in a commentary for Ocracoke Observer that though Lake Mattamuskeet is in jeopardy, he will continue advocating for Hyde County and restoration efforts to save the lake.
FEMA Grants Available for Home Elevation
The Dare County Planning Department will host a meeting May 15 for year-round residents to learn about applying to the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.
