Swim the Loop participants this weekend will benefit from years of work to clean up waters near Wrightsville Beach.
News & Features
Pelican Award: Gaskill and Ballance
Gene Ballance and James Barrie Gaskill, two lifelong watermen, have restored oyster reefs off their native Ocracoke and off Beacon Island, a brown pelican rookery. Their work earned them a Pelican Award.
Turning on the Federal Spigot?
If N. Topsail Beach succeeds in its fight to change the boundaries of the Coastal Barrier Resources Act, federal money can be spent to subsidize flood insurance and development in town for the first time.
30-Year-Old Law Provokes a Fight
The federal Coastal Barrier Resources Act was meant to discourage development on some barrier islands. It hasn’t worked very well on N. Topsail Island and property owners there want it changed.
CRC: ‘Essentially Out of Business’
The state’s Coastal Resources Commission had to postpone this week’s meeting in Nags Head because it’s still severely shorthanded after the legislature fired most of its members.
State Declines $600K in Federal Grants
Environmental officials turned down almost $600,000 in federal money to test water quality in streams where fracking could occur and to monitor wetlands.
The Battle Over Ballast Water
EPA has adopted a new permit intended to protect U.S. waters from invasive species by imposing new regulations on ballast water released from ships. Many at the time probably thought a long legal battle was over.
Pelican Award: Dana Edgren
A third-grade teacher in Carteret County, Dana Edgren instills a respect for nature in her students while teaching them about science.
Company Drops Fumigation Plan
Public opposition has forced a company to scrap its controversial proposal to use a hazardous pesticide to fumigate logs at the state port in Morehead City.
The Federation’s Party by the Water
The N.C. Coastal Federation’s Fish Fry and Shrimp Boil will be a party by the water for those who love the water.
LID Comes to Onslow County
The Swansboro town board approved a subdivision that will use low-impact development techniques to control stormwater. It’s the first such project in Onslow County.
When Crab Pots Become Problems
Crab pots that have been lost or abandoned can clog waterways and kill fish. The N.C. Coastal Federation will work with watermen, volunteers and other partners to locate them and remove them from waters along the northeast coast.
Turning Research Into Art
Abigail Poray, an algae expert at the Institute of Marine Sciences in Morehead City, turns her work into stunning pieces of jewelry.
Take a Leisurely Bike Ride Along the Banks
Join 200 bicyclists for this year’s Cycling for the Coast for a low-key ride along Bogue Banks that benefits the N.C. Coastal Federation.
Pelican Award: Winding River Plantation
The Winding River Plantation Property Owners Association in Brunswick County won a Pelican Award from the N.C. Coastal Federation for developing model community landscaping guidelines that promote environmentally friendly yards.
State’s Oyster Shell Recycling Ends
The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries’ 10-year-old program to recycle oyster shells into oyster reefs ended earlier this summer after the N.C. General Assembly deleted the program’s money from the state budget.
