A nearly 200-acre forest of large, old live oak trees on Bald Head Island has been added to the national Old-Growth Forest Network.
DEQ
Committee calls special meeting on industry dischargers
Updated: The North Carolina Environmental Management Commission Water Quality Committee is holding a special meeting Feb. 25 to hear information on large-scale industrial dischargers.
Water quality officials monitor weekend hog waste spill
State Division of Water Resources officials say more than 80,000 gallons of hog waste spilled into tributaries of the Northeast Cape Fear River over the weekend.
State Energy Office seeks feedback on lowering emissions
The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s State Energy Office will be taking suggestions in a series of public meetings to discuss how the state can further reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Division to hold flounder advisory committee workshop
The workshop will be Monday at the Division of Marine Fisheries Central District Office in Morehead City.
New state program to help households save money, energy
Energy Saver North Carolina initially will focus on single-family, owner-occupied housing, particularly those in high energy-burdened, disadvantaged regions and in areas with storm impacts, according to the state.
EPA to NC: Solvent discharge limits deadline ‘mandatory’
A pending lawsuit notwithstanding, the Environmental Protection Agency has put North Carolina on notice: There’s no extension of the time frames for addressing the federal agency’s objections regarding the discharge of 1,4 dioxane into waters upstream of the Cape Fear.
Environmental Secretary Reid Wilson fills top agency roles
Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Reid Wilson last week named to his staff several individuals familiar to those in and around state government.
Coastal Land Trust secures final million to buy ‘The Point’
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is awarding $1 million to the state and conservation organizations to protect the 150-acre, undeveloped tract at the southern end of Topsail Beach.
Incoming environmental chief Reid Wilson revisits his roots
Former Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Secretary Reid Wilson sees important opportunities and challenges in terms of public health and environmental protection in his new role as Department of Environmental Quality secretary in the Stein administration.
What to do with natural Christmas trees after the holidays
Whether it’s for trapping beach sand or grinding it for fresh mulch, consider upcycling that live Christmas tree you’ll be undecorating as the holiday season comes to a close.
Pender, Brunswick businesses now certified clean marinas
Division of Coastal Management officials announced Thursday that Sloop Point Marina in Pender County and Calabash Marina in Brunswick County have been certified as North Carolina Clean Marinas.
Division sets training sessions for observer trip scheduling
The Division of Marine Fisheries is hosting a series of public outreach meetings to train fishermen on the Observer Trip Scheduling System for estuarine gill net permitholders in North Carolina.
DEQ adds applications for 4 permit types to online portal
The Department of Environmental Quality said the additions were part of a continuing effort to update and improve the permitting process.
Coastal commission lawyer: CAMA a 50-year ‘balancing act’
Coastal Resources Commission legal counsel Mary Lucasse, speaking during a recent legal symposium in New Bern, said the Coastal Area Management Act balances development and private property rights with protecting natural resources.
Descender devices: Safely resend released fish to their depth
Bringing up a fish too quickly is rough on the fish, and if not a keeper, releasing it improperly results in barotrauma, meaning the poor thing is shark bait — that’s where descenders come in.
