N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries director Louis Daniel’s recent resignation remains unexplained, but elected officials had raised issues of fairness and transparency.
News Briefs
State Hiring Entomologists to Prepare for Zika
The state is hiring two medical entomologists to study disease-carrying mosquitoes in North Carolina and prepare to fight the potential spread of the Zika virus.
N.C. Fisheries Director Louis Daniel Resigns
Louis Daniel, the director of the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries resigned Monday, effective immediately, after nine years in the position.
Commission OK’d Sandbag Rules Too Late
The Coastal Resources Commission took too long to approve new temporary rules for sandbags on N.C. beaches, according to a ruling by the N.C. Rules Review Commission.
Hallas Receives Communicator Award
Sara Hallas, coastal education coordinator with the N.C. Coastal Federation’s northeast office in Manteo, recently received the 2016 Conservation Communicator Award from the Hugh Hammond Bennett Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society.
Federation Wins Stewardship Award
The Lower Cape Fear Stewardship Development Coalition, a regional nonprofit organization focused on protecting natural resources, presented its top award to the N.C. Coastal Federation.
Recent Sea-Level Rise Fastest in 3,000 Years
Sea-level rise during the 20th century happened at a faster rate than at any time during the past nearly 3,000 years, and human activity was a big factor, according to a study published Monday.
Study: Emission Cuts Save Lives, Money
New clean energy and transportation policies consistent with the Paris agreement would prevent hundreds of thousands of premature deaths and save billions of dollars if implemented in the U.S., according to a study published today.
Dare Commissioners Advance Beach Tax Plan
Dare County commissioners voted Monday to move forward on a proposal to create a special tax district to help pay for a planned beach-renourishment project later this year.
Corps Considers Shifting Shipping Channel
The Army Corps of Engineers is considering a plan to shift the channel in Beaufort Inlet westward, away from Shackleford Banks and closer to Fort Macon, to address shoaling problems.
Work Progresses on Hatteras Solar Garden
Work on Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative’s Community Solar Garden, which had been delayed, is now progressing and members can get bill credits for purchasing panels.
N.C. Alligators Get a Reprieve
Alligators in North Carolina were granted a reprieve… for a little while anyway. The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, heeding the advice of scientists, decided not to allow an alligator hunting season this year.
Lake Mattamuskeet Plan Ruffles Feathers
A plan that will allow the state to collaborate with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on the management of Lake Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge in Hyde County has birding and wildlife groups worried.
Poll Shows Support for Clean Power Plan
Public Policy Polling’s latest poll shows 65 percent of N.C. residents favor the Obama administration’s plan to address climate change, compared to only 27 percent who said they oppose it.
Justices Side With McCrory on Appointments
The N.C. Supreme Court has ruled that legislators overreached in 2014 in creating commissions to carry out executive-branch functions, including the coal ash commission.
Cedar Point Opposes Testing, Drilling
The Carteret County town of Cedar Point joined Tuesday the chorus of coastal communities voicing opposition to testing and drilling for oil off the N.C. coast.
