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.
Coastal Policy
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.
Plan Pitched to Allow Homes, Protect Dunes
Topsail Beach officials have proposed rule changes they say could preserve protective sand dunes while allowing home construction on lots now deemed unbuildable.
New Flood Maps May Conflict With NC Rules
Two members of panel that advises the state Coastal Resources Commission are calling for creation of a committee to study proposed new flood insurance rate maps, which they say appear to conflict with state rules and historical flood data.
Public Trust Doctrine: Who Owns the Beach?
A case set to go before the North Carolina Supreme Court challenges what is known as the state’s public trust doctrine and the people’s right to access the beach.
UNC Center Names Interim Director
UNC chose an interim director for its new environmental policy center amid heightened concerns both on and off campus about the potential for political interference in the center’s work.
Groups Want Industry to Get More Scrutiny
Environmental groups and residents have proposed changes for New Hanover County’s special-use zoning permit process that would provide the public more detail on the potential effects of industrial development.
Riggs’ Exit Leaves Void on CRC Science Panel
Some of geologist Stan Riggs’ former colleagues on the Coastal Resources Commission’s science panel say his recent resignation left a void in terms of scientific expertise.
New Flood Maps Could Save You Money But…
Proposed revisions to coastal flood maps shift many properties out of the most flood-prone zones. That will result in lower flood insurance premiums, but some officials fear it could also lead to complacency.
Catfish Blues: Rule Threatens Native Species
Scientists and commercial fishermen worry that a recent regulatory change could kill the commercial market for blue catfish, an invasive species that left unchecked could wipe out native fish populations in North Carolina waters.
Making Inlets More User Friendly, Less Scary
The chairman of the panel that manages coastal development rules wants to create a new term that downplays the perils of owning beach property near coastal inlets.
Little Money for Leaking Underground Tanks
There are more than 5,000 sites in the state — 720 along the coast — that are contaminated from leaking, underground petroleum tanks. Thanks to budget cuts, there’s not nearly enough money to clean them up.
Open Space Can Be Money in the Bank
Stream buffers, wetlands and other types of dedicated open space in your community can save coastal homeowners money on their federal flood insurance.
Agreement Leads to Flap Over Lake Levels
A recent deal between federal and state officials to co-manage the Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge has prompted worries that water levels in the state’s largest lake will be raised, driving away waterfowl and flooding adjacent lands.
