“It’s like you’re Band-Aiding over an artery,” says Rob Clark, of Cape Fear River Watch, a coauthor of a report that found that cleaning up more than 7,000 tons of litter in North Carolina cost more than $56 million in 2023.
News & Features
Commission set to further curb state wetlands protections
The Environmental Management Commission is to consider Thursday moving to public comment with a proposed amendment to align the state’s definition of wetlands with the federal definition, which was narrowed by a May 2023 Supreme Court decision.
Mattamuskeet’s invasive carp boycott carp-removal effort
“What we found is we’re not finding the carp numbers in the lake that we thought were there,” Kendall Smith, refuge manager at Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge, told the Lake Mattamuskeet Watershed Restoration Plan Core Stakeholder Team at a recent meeting.
Public mixed on game land access pass plan during hearing
The Wildlife Resources Commission has proposed requiring paid passes for recreational uses of state game lands, a plan that could improve safety during hunting season but may make access out of reach for large user groups.
Jockey’s Ridge protections one step closer to approval
The Coastal Resources Commission voted to move forward with a public hearing for a proposed permanent rule that would restore the area of environmental concern designation for Jockey’s Ridge in Nags Head.
Oak Island looks to grow its Tree Preservation Project
Hurricanes and development have diminished this Brunswick County beach town’s naturally protective tree canopy, but a planting effort and new rules may reverse the trend and ensure the name remains fitting.
As NC wind energy projects advance, uncertainty rules
In the wake of Trump’s executive order barring new offshore wind leases and requiring reviews of existing and permitted wind projects, industry supporters worry about what rules, permits or projects could be affected and the broader implications for manufacturers and the workforce.
Judge restores state’s 30 erased coastal development rules
A judge has ordered that more than two dozen longstanding rules used to guide coastal development and protect resources be placed back into the North Carolina Administrative Code.
Upriver Cape Fear plant releases high levels of 1,4-dioxane
Levels of the compound believed to be a human carcinogen at the Asheboro wastewater treatment plant far exceeded national limits in late January.
Wildlife shelter posts reward to end maiming of pelicans
A wild bird rescue organization in Brunswick County is offering a $10,000 reward to stop the common winter occurrence of dead and severely injured brown pelicans washing ashore.
Audubon sanctuary gets $3 million for work to save marsh
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation awarded the money to the Donal C. O’Brien Sanctuary and Audubon Center at Pine Island in Currituck County “to fund innovative marsh restoration pilot projects.”
UNCW Blue Economy Index plunges following inauguration
The University of North Carolina Wilmington’s benchmark that tracks companies earning revenue via ocean resources has performed poorly since Trump returned to office.
Ports, suppliers in 40 states are invested in offshore wind
A new report from an ocean advocacy group finds that billions of dollars have been invested in U.S. ports in gearing up for or actively serving the offshore wind energy, which has created thousands of jobs, just as the new administration levels its anti-renewables sights at the industry.
Researchers to develop heat policy, risk interactive map
Duke’s Heat Policy Innovation Hub has been awarded $500,000 to design a web-based tool that is to help inform heat policies, assess heat risks in rural and coastal communities, and facilitate collaboration.
Conservationists seek Farm Act changes to boost land gifts
Officials with land trusts across the state are concerned that incentives in the law that took effect Jan. 1 may not be enough to entice property owners to donate.
Buxton Beach is clean but advisory board sees work ahead
While the visible and odorous signs are now gone, a panel formed to oversee environmental restoration sees remaining challenges at the Cape Hatteras National Seashore site where a secret submarine survey base once operated.
