Wilmington conservationist filmmaker, guide and lifelong angler Seth Vernon seeks to preserve the passions of fly fishing and ecology for future generations.
Spotlight
Measure gives Bald Head Island OK to study adding groin
Village officials say the bill allows the option to study whether a terminal groin would be viable in controlling erosion at the east end of the island’s south beach, but it remains unclear whether it will happen.
Legislature to revisit significant archaeological resources
Sen. Norm Sanderson last week vowed to again take up measures to deal “with all the archaeological situations that we have in North Carolina that have kind of sprung up on us recently.”
Forecasters, lifeguards warn: Rip currents are deadly
Rip currents have killed four times as many people in the Carolinas since 2000 as tornados, floods and wind combined, a National Weather Service official said.
Supreme Court undoes longstanding federal agency power
The majority of justices agreed that the precedent in the challenges to a National Marine Fisheries Service rule brought by fishing companies was fundamentally misguided.
Eleven students attend Marine Patrol’s first summer camp
Young cadets recently completed the inaugural North Carolina Marine Patrol Junior Academy, an immersive educational experience geared to provide a glimpse into the officers’ daily routine.
St. James folk bask among beauty, birds certification brings
The town of St. James in Brunswick County recently became the only coastal town to become a Certified Community Wildlife Habitat, a relatively easy-to-get distinction through a National Wildlife Foundation program.
Judge Boyle rejects preliminary injunction in wetlands case
District Court Judge Terrence Boyle last week denied Robert White’s motion for a preliminary injunction in the Pasquotank County man’s challenge to Clean Water Act enforcement against him.
Bald Head Island Conservancy questions groin bill logic
The nonprofit’s executive director, whom the village council invited to make a presentation Friday, urged a smart decision regarding marine life and terminal groin law changes pending in Raleigh.
Carteret Commissioner Chadwick cited for Atlantic fire
A permitted debris burn three weeks ago rekindled Sunday and scorched more than 500 acres in the Down East community, resulting in a $50 fine.
Bill change adds terminal groin, limits historical site rules
Language to “rein in” the Division of Coastal Management’s authority has been removed, but a Coastal Area Management Act review could return during the next session.
No recreational flounder season likely this year; here’s why
The agency that manages inland waters is looking for public input on a proposed temporary rule to close recreational flounder season in inland waters for 2024.
Biologists, advocates push for more wildlife crossing funds
Proponents of the federal Red Wolf Recovery Program say more protected highway wildlife crossings in the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge would benefit all species.
Public can weigh in on Wilmington Harbor expansion plan
The Army Corps of Engineers has kicked off a public review and comment period for its environmental study of the State Ports Authority’s controversial plan to deepen and widen Wilmington Harbor to accommodate larger ships from Asia.
Lake Mattamuskeet algaecide pilot study tied up in court
A lawsuit to stop a controversial pilot study to treat the cyanobacteria in the 40,000-acre freshwater lake has stalled both the plans and the funds.
Wildlife crossings gain visibility, financial support in state
Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge officials are working with the Wildlife Resources Commission and the Department of Transportation to build wildlife crossings at each end of the Alligator River replacement bridge between Tyrrell and Dare counties, and more could be built.
