The N.C. State Ports Authority’s latest plans to bring wood pellet exporting facilities to its ports in Morehead City and Wilmington have again raised questions about the authority’s openness and willingness to involve the public.
News & Features
Proposed Turtle Habitat Has Locals Worried
Some local governments say a federal plan to increase protection of loggerhead sea turtles is a threat to crucial beach re-nourishment, but federal officials say the critics’ contentions are overblown.
Senate Budget Remakes Conservation Funds
The proposed N.C. Senate budget closely mirrors Gov. Pat McCrory’s proposal in terms of overall dollars, but it contains a number of key distinctions in priorities, including a complete overhaul of the state’s conservation trust funds.
How Much Freshwater Can a Swamp Take?
That’s the main question being asked about two proposed quarries that will dump almost 24 million gallons a day of freshwater into brackish, blackwater creeks.
Jockey’s Ridge Makes Fetching Classroom
Jockey’s Ridge State Park is a place where kids learn about yucca plants and pennywort, blue crabs and croaker and all about the watery world around them.
Bill Guts Safeguards for Terminal Groins
Small jetties, called terminal groins, could be built at all the inlets along the N.C. coast, under a bill that a state Senate committee passed yesterday, and state taxpayers could be asked to pay for all of them.
Ruling Favors Putting Septic Tanks on Beach
A new state ruling will make it easier for the owners of houses like this one to replace septic systems lost to storms on the beach as long as they are 50 feet from the water at low tide.
Busy Week Ahead at Legislature
Legislators are considering many environmental bills as the so-called “crossover” deadline approaches this week in the N.C. General Assembly. We offer a summary of important bills to help you keep up.
Hoop Pole Gives Kids a Taste of the Coast
Students from the N.C. School for the Deaf spent some time at the federation’s Hoop Pole Creek Preserve to learn about the coastal environment. Some of the kids had never been to the beach before.
‘Reform’ Bill Could Have Sweeping Effects
The N.C. Senate is considering yet another “regulatory reform” bill that follows similarly named bills of the previous two sessions. The bill would make an array of changes to environmental policy and regulations that could have far-reaching implications.
Some Hammerheads to Get Protection
Federal fisheries managers have proposed adding four populations of hammerhead sharks to the Endangered Species List. Those off the Southeast coast aren’t included despite dramatic declines in their population.
Compromise on Committees Bill Goes Up in Flames
In a rare show of unanimity, the N.C. House yesterday voted down a compromise on a controversial bill that would have remade the state’s major regulatory commissions. The vote: 116-0.
Usually Feuding Fishermen Work Together
The N.C. Coastal Federation helped broker a one-of-a-kind project in Dare County in which recreational and commercial fishermen will be working together at a N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s boat ramp.
Rocky Point High-School Student Wins Contest
Anna Brodmerkel’s essay on the importance of wetlands won a contest sponsored by Stop Titan groups and a $1,000 college scholarship.
Titan Fight Approaches Benchmark
Five years have passed since a handful of residents and environmentalists sat in the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners’ chambers to learn more about a company’s plans to build a cement plant just outside of Wilmington.
Bridge Projects Still Kicking, Proponents Say
A proposed state bill that would change the way the planned Mid-Currituck Bridge and Cape Fear Skyway would be funded gives proponents the jitters, but the projects may not be doomed.
