The Senate’s 2017-19 spending plan approved Thursday would eliminate 45 Department of Environmental Quality positions and impose a three-year moratorium on wind-energy projects.
News & Features
Cahoon Gavels First CRC Meeting as Chair
Renee Cahoon of Nags Head recently presided over her first meeting as chair of the state Coastal Resources Commission, and she also spoke with CRO about her new role.
Trails, Not Boat Ramps, in Final Park Plan
Based on public input, the plan for improvements and new amenities at Hammocks Beach State Park includes new trails and camping areas, but no motorboat ramps.
AmeriCorps Funding in Limbo
Trump’s new budget proposal targets the agency that manages AmeriCorps, a program that promotes volunteerism, including in environmental education projects along the North Carolina coast.
Wind Energy, Regulatory Bills Find Support
Amid a hectic rush this week to advance dozens of bills by a critical deadline, state lawmakers solidified support for a wind energy bill and regulatory changes.
Tournament Puts Spotlight on Conservation
Systems designed to protect water quality around Eagle Point Golf Club in Wilmington will serve as a scenic backdrop May 1-7, when the PGA tour comes to Wilmington.
Will Park Plan Save or Ruin Maritime Forest?
A new state report indicates that Emerald Isle’s plan to buy nearly 30 acres of maritime forest for preservation and athletic fields may conflict with conservation goals.
Fed-Up Brunswick Environmentalists Regroup
Citing frustration with limits imposed by the town council, former members of a Sunset Beach committee are forming a new, countywide environmental group.
Bag Ban Repeal Among Bills on Fast Track
The move is on in the North Carolina General Assembly to advance bills ahead of an important deadline later this week, including measures to repeal the Outer Banks’ ban on plastic bags.
Judge Dismisses Topsail Dune Rule Case
A judge has thrown out a lawsuit challenging Topsail Beach’s repeal of the town’s dune ordinance, a decision that lifts a block on new building permits.
Composting Plan Aims to Extend Landfill’s Life
New Hanover County is set to launch a pilot program with UNCW to compost food waste from the university, the latest effort to extend the life of the rapidly filling county landfill.
Inventory Tracks ‘Armoring’ of Beaches, Inlets
Newly released data lists all hardened structures, beach re-nourishment projects and other changes made to East Coast beaches since 2012, raising questions about what should be done to offset their effects.
Troubled Rivers: Can Farm Buyouts Help?
With the listing of North Carolina’s Neuse and Cape Fear among America’s most endangered rivers, there’s support for another buyout of hog farms in the 100-year floodplain.
Coastal Towns Brace For Beach Funding Cuts
Local government officials gathered last week in Nags Head to discuss how to respond to expected federal and state funding cuts to beach and inlet management programs.
Cape Fear Pollution Fix: Call It a ‘Swamp?’
A plan to address water quality problems in the lower Cape Fear River includes reclassifying the part of the river that flows by Wilmington and the state port as “swamp water.”
Plan Streamlines Re-Nourishment Permitting
The state will soon roll out a new biological review system to fast-track permitting for certain types of beach re-nourishment projects, trimming at least three months from the approval time.
