After about two years of discussions, the Sunset Beach Town Council appears to be heeding environmental concerns and advancing plans to dredge only a portion of Jinks Creek.
Coastal Policy
Flooded Again: Long-Term Fixes Needed
A recent report found that government buyouts for getting people out of floodplains haven’t worked, partly because residents return or relocate to areas proven vulnerable to flooding.
Budget Process Underway, Draws Criticism
The process for this year’s state budget, which includes key items for the coast such as beach renourishment and a private-public partnership to purchase a dredge for Oregon Inlet, is facing criticism.
Hyde County Adopts Derelict Vessel Rule
Hyde this week became the fourth coastal N.C. county to approve an ordinance addressing the problem of abandoned vessels in public waters, the county’s first step that applies only to Ocracoke’s harbor.
Board Rejects Rezoning of Conserved Land
The North Topsail Beach Board of Aldermen recently upheld the town’s nearly decade-old rule that prohibits rezoning of land in its conservation district.
Offensive Fence Gone at Carolina Beach Park
A fence deemed illegal and a hazard that private property owners placed at Freeman Park in Carolina Beach has been removed and the town has put up a new fence at the popular vehicle and camping beach.
Owners Seek Permits for 2015 Wetlands Fill
Property owners restoring a private airstrip in Down East Carteret County, a project that involved filling of 5 acres of wetlands in 2015, now seek after-the-fact approval from the Corps of Engineers for the work.
Sunset Beach, Developers Reach Agreement
An agreement has put on hold a lawsuit over proposed development of land at the west end of Sunset Beach that was once an inlet and may result in the state buying and conserving the property.
Net Changes: 20 Years Since Fisheries Reform
In its 20th year, a Fisheries Reform Act anniversary summit is being held Wednesday by Outer Banks Catch to revisit the creation of the state’s first comprehensive fisheries management law.
Appeal Period Begins For Revised Flood Maps
A 90-day appeal period has begun for property owners, community officials and others in nine coastal counties to protest information in proposed new flood insurance rate maps.
N. Topsail: Effort Renewed to Undo CBRA
A new U.S. Senate bill is the latest move in a years-long effort to revise the Coastal Barrier Resources Act protections that limit development in much of North Topsail Beach.
New Faces Join State Environmental Boards
Several new appointees began work recently on key environmental policy boards including the Environmental Management Commission, Coastal Resources Commission and Clean Water Management Trust Fund.
Agencies Lack Power to Clear Derelict Boats
A recent federal report echoes what many agencies and state and local governments already know: Abandoned boats in public waters are a problem with no easy solutions.
Can Oysters, Coastal Restoration Create Jobs?
A summit held last week in Raleigh looked to Virginia and Maryland to answer the question: Can stormwater management and aquaculture create economic opportunities in coastal North Carolina?
Petition Calls For More Limits on Trawling
The Marine Fisheries Commission is set to hear public comments Tuesday about a petition calling for more limits on shrimp trawling, a move commercial fishermen say will put them out of business and hurt consumers.
Official: New Flood Maps Are More Accurate
An official with the North Carolina Floodplain Mapping office is aware of concerns raised about changes in proposed new flood insurance rate maps, but says their accuracy is improved.