Approval of the requested development ordinance text amendment could clear the way for construction of high-rise condominiums on a flood-prone 8-acre parcel near the Battleship North Carolina that a coalition of six organizations says would destroy habitat and areas of historic and cultural significance.
News & Features
Bridge will bypass Pea Island, but refuge access to remain
The new “jug handle” bridge bypassing the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge is set to open early this year.
Counties, towns offer ways to dispose of natural trees
Now that the holidays are over, numerous counties and towns along the coast are collecting natural Christmas trees to be used as sand fencing, dune restoration or ground into mulch.
Mural to mark UNC Institute of Marine Sciences’ 75 years
A call for artists’ proposals was announced earlier this month for the plan to increase visibility of the University of North Carolina’s Morehead City research facility.
Visitor center at Pea Island Refuge gets new lease on life
Federal officials were on hand Friday for a pandemic-delayed ribbon cutting at the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, which was elevated 5 feet and renovated, work that was completed in spring 2020.
Topsail Island towns begin work on new resiliency effort
North Topsail Beach, Surf City and Topsail Beach held their first public meeting Wednesday to begin the process of identifying a coastal resilience project using nature-based solutions and state funding to benefit all three towns.
Student study finds Buxton Woods a healthy, valued reserve
UNC students participating in a capstone study project at the Coastal Studies Institute found that the Buxton Woods Coastal Reserve is both apparently healthy and valued in various ways by Hatteras Island residents.
Fine print in budget worries environmental advocates
The state budget recently signed into law by Gov. Roy Cooper, his first since taking office, provides significant funding for resilience and conservation, but the 1,200-page spending plan also includes provisions that could undermine environmental protections.
‘A Sound River’ documentary traces nonprofit’s 40 years
Filmmaker Rain Bennett, who grew up on the Pamlico River and produced the history of environmental nonprofit Sound Rivers, says storytelling is a powerful way to stand up to polluters.
New plan aims to save northeastern NC marshlands
The recently released Currituck Sound Coalition Marsh Conservation Plan was designed to address the challenges marshes in the sound face, including sea level rise.
Researchers eye alternative energy to power state ferries
The North Carolina Ferry Division and university researchers are studying possible ways for alternative energy to power the state’s 21 ferries.
Years of flood disasters drove NC’s new resiliency funding
After years of climate disasters across North Carolina, the newly approved state budget includes hundreds of millions of dollars for new programs and initiatives to address flooding and bolster resilience to storms.
Coastal Habitat Protection Plan 2021 amendment approved
The Coastal Habitat Protection Plan’s 2021 amendment to the 2016 plan has been unanimously approved by the Coastal Resources, Environmental Management and Marine Fisheries commissions.
Estuaries, though small, have huge economic impact: report
These small areas where rivers mix with salt water in coastal regions contribute a significant amount to the country’s economy, according to a recent update to a decade-old report on the economics of estuaries.
Feds withdraw plan to scale back red wolf protections in NC
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service cited recent court decisions and public comments about the 2018 proposal to remove most private land in the 1.7-million-acre recovery area in Hyde, Tyrrell, Dare, Beaufort and Washington counties.
Town creates fund for UNCW’s study of living shoreline
St. James recently took the unusual step of creating an endowment for University of North Carolina Wilmington research and work related to the Brunswick County town’s living shorelines, but townsfolk here have long recognized the power of the mighty oyster.
