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.
Coastal Policy
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.
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.
