Oak Island is hosting an Arbor Day Celebration Friday to commemorate the town’s recognition as a 2026 Tree City USA, an annual, national program of the Arbor Day Foundation.

The celebration will feature a tree planting ceremony of two live oak trees and attendees may take home a free one-gallon live oak seedling, courtesy of Penderlea Farms of Burgaw.

The Brunswick County town has over the past several years taken steps to preserve, manage and expand its tree canopy, including its creation of a tree canopy assessment, identifying heritage trees within town limits, and planting live oaks throughout the town.

More than 250 new live oaks have been planted within the last two years through the town’s popular adopt-a-tree program for residents.

Tree City USA provides a foundation for community forestry management based on set of core standards established by the Arbor Day Foundation.

In North Carolina, Arbor Day is celebrated on the Friday following March 15.

The celebration is scheduled for 3-5 p.m. in Bill Smith Park, 4410 Fish Factory Road.

This post has been updated to include neighboring counties.

New Hanover residents without residential trash and yard waste pick-up through the city of Wilmington can recycle their Christmas trees and other natural decorations at no charge starting Dec. 26.

The program that ends Jan. 31 is a joint effort of the county’s Recycling and Solid Waste Department, the City of Wilmington Sanitation Department and Home Depot stores located at 5511 Carolina Beach Road and 210 Eastwood Road.

All natural trees, wreaths and garlands with the lights, ornaments, stands and tinsel removed can be dropped of at either of the Home Depots or the New Hanover County Landfill, 5210 US Highway 421 North. Artificial trees or decorations will not be accepted.

Residents are asked to stack items intended for recycling neatly due to limited space at these drop-off sites. Those using this service will see fenced-in areas in The Home Depots parking lots, with signage directing them to drop-off points.

“Seeing homes decked out in beautiful décor is a wonderful thing during this festive time of year, but once the holiday season ends, it’s important to dispose of natural décor in a responsible and environmentally safe manner,” Recycling and Solid Waste Director Joe Suleyman said in a release. “We’re excited to continue this partnership with the City of Wilmington and our local The Home Depot stores, which allows living Christmas trees, wreaths, and garlands to be recycled and converted into mulch and compost. This material will be used in our parks, gardens and grounds, helping reduce waste and keeping our environment clean.”

In addition to trees and wreaths, residents are reminded that other holiday materials such as gift wrap, paper or cardboard boxes, holiday cards, old gadgets and electronics can be recycled at the county’s recycling processing facility, drop-off sites throughout the community or via the Mobile Hazwagon.

At this time, string lights, tinsel, foam packaging, bubble wrap, and ribbons or bows cannot be recycled and should either be reused or placed in the trash. 

Learn more at Recycling.NHCgov.com or by calling 910-798-4400, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.

Those living within the Wilmington city limits can learn more about recycling services and accepted items online.

The Brunswick County Landfill in Bolivia will accept live Christmas trees free of charge to Brunswick County property owners and residents Jan. 2-31.

Brunswick County Convenience Centers will accept live Christmas trees in January at a charge of $5 per tree.

Normal tipping fees will be applied after Jan. 31.

Residents are reminded to remove all ornaments, lights, and decorations prior to disposal. The county landfill and convenience centers accept string lights and cords year-round at no charge to Brunswick property owners and residents as part of the electronics recycling program.

Oak Island’s annual “Grinding of the Greens” program will kick off Dec. 26, when residents can drop off live, free-of-decorations Christmas trees in the Middleton Park Complex parking lot at 4610 E Dolphin Dr.

The program runs through Jan. 16.

Town officials are reminding residents and visitors that placing live Christmas trees on the beach and beach dunes, and burning Christmas trees as part of beach bonfires, is prohibited.

Pender County is not offering Christmas tree disposal at its convenience sites.

Property owners there may contact Wilmington Compost Company at 7336 N.C. 210 in Rocky Point and Hampstead Mulch and Stone at 12981 U.S. 17 in Hampstead for disposal details.

Coastal Review will not publish Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in observance of the Christmas holiday.

A dredging and sand placement that began last week in Oak Island will continue with around-the-clock operations as part of the town’s 2025-26 beach nourishment project.

Hopper dredge RB Weeks began work Friday afternoon in the area of 37th Place East and Southeast 43rd Street, according to a town release.

Work on the project will be conducted 24 hours a day, conditions permitting. Residents and visitors in the Brunswick County town may notice loud noises and ground vibrations and see moving machinery and closed beach areas.

Equipment has been staged in the parking lots of the Kevin Bell Skatepark and the the adjacent Southeast 49th Street beach access, which remain closed to the public.

Town officials urge residents and visitors to steer clear of closed staging construction areas and asked not to attempt to speak to or ask questions of crews working on the project.

In all, Oak Island’s ocean shore will be plumped with more than 1.64 million cubic yards of sand through a combination of three projects, including the Lockwoods Folly Inlet, Wilmington Harbor and offshore Oak Island projects.

The offshore project that began Friday is scheduled to be complete in January, subject to conditions.

For up-to-date information, visit the town’s beach nourishment information webpage, which includes a new progress tracker.

A burn ban is in effect in unincorporated areas of Brunswick County until further notice.

The Brunswick County Fire Marshal issued the ban at 5 p.m. on Thursday, citing current and forecast weather conditions are unfavorable to open burning, “particularly due to increasing wind and fire danger risks heading into this weekend,” according to a county release.

The ban pertains specifically to all burning within 100 feet of a structure. It does not apply to open burning permits the North Carolina Forest Service has issued or permitted fireworks displays.

The town of Oak Island issued a similar ban Thursday afternoon to coincide with the county ban. Residents of that town may contact the Oak Island Fire Department at 910-278-1000 or through the department contact form. 

Residents of cities and towns within the county should check with their local governments about municipal bans.

The burn ban is effective until conditions improve and the county will send out a notice once the ban is lifted. A notice will also go out on any necessary safety updates related to to the burn ban.

Additional information is available on the county’s burn ban/opening burning webpage.

For questions about the ban, contact the Brunswick County Fire Marshal’s Office at 910-253-2041.

Brunswick County Public Utilities has lifted a water conservation alert it enacted earlier this summer.

Recent rainfalls and residents’ efforts to conserve water, “have contributed to a drop to sustainable levels for the County’s water system,” leading the utility to rescind the stage 1 alert in put in place June 26, according to a release.

The alert affected customers in the unincorporated areas of the county, as well as Boiling Spring Lakes, Bolivia, Calabash, Carolina Shores, Caswell Beach, Navassa, Northwest, Sandy Creek, Shallotte, Southport, St. James, Sunset Beach, and Varnamtown.

The recension also applies to customers of Bald Head Island Utilities, Holden Beach Utilities, Oak Island Utilities and Ocean Isle Beach Utilities.

It does not apply to Brunswick Regional – H2GO customers.

“Water conservation notices are not uncommon for this time of year,” the release states. “Water systems typically see higher demands in late spring and throughout summer due to the heat, increased irrigation demands, and the peak tourism season.”

The utility could issue additional notices if drier weather conditions return and customers are encouraged to “use water wisely” and maintain the water irrigation schedule the utility recommends.

The schedule is as follows:

• Odd address numbers: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday.
• Even address numbers: Wednesday, Friday, Sunday.
• No irrigation on Mondays.

Customers are also encouraged to irrigate lawns outside of peak demand hours of 5 a.m.-11 a.m. to spread out demands on the system. Irrigation is recommended after nightfall.

Customers with questions may contact Brunswick County Public Utilities at 910.253.2657 or utilityadmin@brunswickcountync.gov.

Millions of dollars in state funding are being awarded for beach renourishment and dune projects along the North Carolina coast.

Projects in Dare, Carteret and Currituck counties and in Oak Island have been selected by the North Carlina Division of Water Resources to receive more than $9.39 million from the Coastal Storm Damage Mitigation Fund.

Funding will go to the following projects:

• In Dare County, Buxton nourishment, $3.6 million and Avon Beach nourishment, $2 million.
• In Carteret County, Bogue Banks 2025-26 beach nourishment design, $663,537.
• Currituck County’s beach management plan, $120,568.
• Oak Island beach nourishment, $3 million.

The applicants are matching the state grants with more than $44 million in local government funds.

“The coastline is one of our state’s natural treasures and serves as the livelihood of many communities in eastern North Carolina,” Gov. Josh Stein said in a release. “These grants will help preserve our state’s beauty, protect people’s livelihoods, and keep communities safe.”

The North Carolina General Assembly funds the Coastal Storm Damage Mitigation Fund to help with local costs associated with beach nourishment, artificial dunes and other projects to mitigate or remediate coastal storm damage to the state’s ocean beaches and dune systems.

“This funding will help coastal communities protect natural resources that are essential to their quality of life and economies,” said state Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Reid Wilson in the release. “By restoring beaches and dunes, the projects will also make these communities more resilient to future storms.”

The division scores applications on several criteria, including environmental, social, and economic benefits, life of the project, financial resources, and project efficiency.

For additional information about the application process, contact Kevin Hart with the division at 919-707-3607 or kevin.hart@deq.nc.gov.

An illegal drive on Oak Island’s ocean shoreline has damaged one of the town’s beach mats beyond repair.

Town officials on Monday morning removed the severely damaged Mobi-Mat at SE 40th St. after drivers of three vehicles, including a pickup truck, car and low speed vehicle, or LSV, failed at an attempt to drive off the beach during the overnight to early morning hours, according to a release.

All three vehicles got stuck, requiring town staff and a private towing company’s assistance to get them removed from the beach.

The drivers were issued multiple citations for violating Town Ordinance 28-5, which forbids motor vehicles on the beach strand.

The Mobi-Mat, or mobility access mat, is one of 10 installed among the town’s 65 beach accesses. Mobi-Mats have become increasingly popular among beach towns in the state because they provide wheelchair accessibility from public accesses to the shore.

“Due to limited availability and seasonal demand for similar products, an exact replacement time is not currently available; however, this notice will be updated once a replacement timeline is established,” the release states. “The Public Works Department is actively seeking repair or replacement options.”

Oak Island has purchased Mobi-Mats through a combination of town funding and community partners. The mats cost anywhere from several hundred dollars up to more than $4,500 each.

The number of accesses where Mobi-Mats may be placed in the town are limited due to geographical features and parking area constraints.

A beach survey contractor drove over the legs of a young woman who was lying on the beach Monday on the beach in Oak Island.

Town officials announced that Oak Island Public Safety units were dispatched to the public beach area between Keziah Street and Womble Street at 2:11 p.m. Monday in response to a pedestrian who had been struck by a vehicle driving on the beach.

The 15-year-old female was evaluated on scene for possible injuries that were not life-threatening and was later transported to Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center in Bolivia for further evaluation.

Town officials said that because of the victim’s age she would not be identified.

No criminal charges will be filed against the driver, the town’s police department told Coastal Review.

The vehicle was a 2020 model GMC pickup truck owned by TI Coastal Services, a private contractor conducting a beach survey for engineering firm Moffatt & Nichol in preparation for an upcoming beach nourishment project. Officials said the survey began July 7 and was expected to take two weeks.

Town officials noted that there were erroneous reports on social media and other platforms that the accident was caused by the town’s Beach Safety Unit during its regular patrols.

“Claims such as this can quickly cause the spread of misinformation, and lead to a dangerous lack of trust in first responders,” stated town officials in the announcement.

Large, deep holes left by dig-loving beachgoers on Oak Island’s ocean shore have prompted the town’s council to restrict the depth and the tools that may be used to shovel recreational holes on the public beach.

The Oak Island Town Council on July 8 updated ordinance 14-142, which addresses digging holes on the beach, to include specific rules that go beyond the original ordinance’s wording that holes be “be attended at all times and filled prior to leaving the beach.”

The update was made in response to “the recent call volume and overwhelming safety concerns” that have resulted from deep holes beachgoers have left on the town’s ocean shore,” according to a release the Brunswick County town issued Friday.

“Since the start of May 2025, the Oak Island Beach Safety Unit has responded to and filled in over 205 large, deep holes left unattended on the public beach areas,” the release states. “Deep holes in the sand can be dangerous to beachgoers, wildlife, and Beach Safety crews responding to emergencies. At well over 100 lbs. per cubic foot, the weight of sand from a collapsed hole can immediately crush most children, small pets, and wildlife.”

These holes can be difficult to see, particularly at night, and regularly cause damage to emergency equipment and severe injuries to people, pets and wildlife walking the beach.

The amended ordinance mandates that holes may be dug only using toy shovels, not more than one foot deep, must be attended at all times, and completely filled by 6 p.m.

Violators will face a $50 fine issued by the Beach Safety Unit or the Oak Island Police Department.

For additional information, visit OakIslandNC.gov/HOLES.

OAK ISLAND – When Gigi Donovan looks at the dune fronting a row of largely undeveloped oceanfront lots across the street from her home, she sees a false sense of security.

“We’ve seen this dune go away three times in 12 years,” she said.

The sandy mound that separates the public beach from private lots along a stretch of East Beach Drive wasn’t here just a few years ago. It has been built up and planted with dune-stabilizing sea oats through the town of Oak Island’s efforts to restore its oceanfront shore. 

Now there is enough of it to render at least one of the thin slices of long-vacant beachfront lots suitable for building.

That has Donovan and several of her neighbors worried.

Amber and Dean Russell live a few doors down from the Donovans. When the Russells bought their bungalow in 2022, they went ahead and purchased the beachfront lot directly across the street.

“We bought that just to keep our view,” Amber Russell said. “It’s not safe to build on.”

That’s a sentiment a group of homeowners and residents who live in the area of SE 58^th Street and East Beach Drive have expressed to town officials in the days and months since they received notice that a developer had applied for a Coastal Area Management Act, or CAMA, permit to build a house on one of the oceanfront lots.

They’ve made countless telephone calls and sent emails to North Carolina Division of Coastal Management and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers staff.

They’ve posted handmade signs that read “SAVE OUR BEACHFRONT — No Building on Narrow, At-risk Lots!” along their block of East Beach Drive.

They started an online petition that, as of June 13, had more than 600 signatures.

They’ve dug in their heels and pushed back, calling “for the return to responsible, sustainable environmental development on fragile oceanfront properties” in a plea to Oak Island’s mayor.

But even they acknowledge this fight is an uphill battle, one that is likely to rage on as low-lying coastal areas deal with the effects of sea level rise, more frequent, intense coastal storms and shoreline erosion.

Regulatory flexibility

Last month, a CAMA minor permit was issued for 5515 East Beach Drive. Proposed building plans on the 0.17-acre lot include a 2,856 square-foot house.

Town officials in an email responding to questions said they do not have on file when a home last stood on that lot. Aerial satellite images from Brunswick County show that this particular block of East Beach Drive had more homes along the oceanfront in 1989 than today.

The homes captured by satellite imagery in 1989 were gone in 2003, destroyed by nature or demolition.

Today, houses stand on only two of the oceanfront lots along this block of East Beach Drive.

Oak Island officials said the town does not have an overarching designation determining whether a lot is buildable based on oceanfront construction setbacks.

“For building on an oceanfront lot, the developer would submit information to show compliance with CAMA regulations and receive a permit if they meet said requirements,” an official said in an email.

Back in 2023, the North Carolina Coastal Resources Commission rubber-stamped Oak Island’s beach management plan, which gives beachfront builders more regulatory flexibility regarding how far back they must build from the sea.

The year before, the commission repealed regulations that allowed coastal communities to use the less restrictive setback measurement line for oceanfront construction, instead requiring builders to measure back from what is referred to as the preproject vegetation line.

The preproject vegetation line is the first line of stable, natural vegetation that is on an oceanfront before a large-scale beach nourishment project begins, one where more than 300,000 cubic yards of sand is placed on the beach.

But coastal communities that create and follow beach management plans approved by the commission may measure setbacks from the vegetation line rather than the preproject line as long as they meet the obligations detailed in their plans. Setbacks are 60 feet from the measurement line.

Coastal Resources Commission approved beach management plans for five coastal towns: Carolina Beach, Kure Beach and Wrightsville Beach in New Hanover County, and Oak Island and Ocean Isle Beach in Brunswick County. Once approved, plans must be reauthorized every five years.

Oak Island’s authorized plan calls for placing a total estimated 16.2 million cubic yards of sand on the beach over the next three decades. Under the plan, the beach will be nourished every six years.

Oak Island’s most recent sand nourishment projects were carried out in 2021 and 2022.

A nourishment project originally planned for winter 2024-25 was postponed after the town was informed contractor bids for the project “had far exceeded the amounts expected or budgeted,” according to the town’s website.

The project is again out for bids, and town officials anticipate a contract will be awarded and work will begin later this year.

Risky building

“They’re looking to the renourishment as the permanent solution,” Donovan said.

Dr. Gavin Smith, a North Carolina State University professor who researches hazard mitigation, disaster recovery and climate change adaptation, is not a big fan of beach nourishment.

“I think that overrelying on beach nourishment as a way to protect coastal development is fraught with problems,” he said in a telephone interview earlier this month. “It’s extremely expensive. It can take several seasons or it can take one bad storm and it’s gone.”

Smith pointed out that coastal zones, in particular barrier island, are highly dynamic and subject to significant change.

“Thinking about the construction of a house in a highly dynamic area, I think we need to be really careful,” he said. “Builders and homebuyers need to think about the life of that structure. The conditions that that site might face in 40 or 50 years is worthy of consideration. Individuals need to think about and actually ask a question: While you might be able to legally build in a given place, should you build there? I think that’s something that we all need to perhaps be more aware of.”

It’s time governments at all levels, local, state and federal, “do better,” he said.

“How can we recognize or applaud local governments that have the political will to adopt more stringent standards than the minimums? That’s what many governments adhere to is the minimum standards” Smith said. “Our codes are inadequate in the state, yet that’s what we adhere to in many cases. The National Flood Insurance Program should be viewed as a minimum, not the maximum. In an era of climate change we’re moving toward this idea of nonstationary, which we don’t know what the future holds. So, therefore our codes and standards ought to be that much more rigorous to account for the uncertainty. But instead, we’re relying on old data. We’re relying on old codes and that’s a significant problem.”

Sitting at the kitchen table in her home on a late May afternoon, Donovan mulled the many concerns she, her husband Mark, and their neighbors have raised to government officials.

They worry about whether more lights from new construction will hinder sea turtles from nesting on the shore. They worry about how stormwater runoff from new rooftops, driveways and other impervious surfaces may exacerbate flooding on their second-row lots.

They worry what one unwelcome coastal storm, be it a hurricane of any category or a potential tropical cyclone that packs a punch like the unnamed storm that pummeled Brunswick County last year, might do to the dune and any homes standing on the small land plots just behind it.

“We don’t know. That’s the thing. We don’t know what’s going to happen,” Gigi Donovan said.

In a statement to the town’s mayor last month, the Donovans and their neighbors wrote: “While we cannot control the weather, we can mitigate the damage it causes by responsibly managing the development of oceanfront properties.”

Oceanfront lot development “should be based on comprehensive land-use plans that take into consideration beach erosion, turtle nesting habitat, climate change, protection of private and town property, and preserving the legacy of (Oak Island) as a quaint, family-focused beach community.”

They are appealing to Coastal Resources Commission Chair Renee Cahoon, who determines whether or not property owners can make their case in a hearing before the full commission.

“We are very motivated and stubborn,” Gigi Donovan said in a text message. “If we allow them to plow ahead, steam-rolling any local opposition, our entire island beachfront will be irreparably destroyed.”

Update 11 a.m. May 30: State recreational water quality officials lifted Friday a precautionary swimming advisory in Oak Island because floodwaters have receded, and pumping has ceased.

Original post May 28:

Beachgoers should avoid ocean surf near an area where Oak Island town officials pumped floodwater, according to a state advisory issued Wednesday.

The town pumped floodwater caused by recent rains into the ocean near Crowell Street.

North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality recreational water quality officials warn that floodwater can contain pollutants, such as waste from wildlife and pets, oil and gasoline from parking lots and waste from septic systems or sewers.

“This notice does not imply that disease-causing organisms are present in the water; it is meant to caution beachgoers of an increased risk of contamination that can cause adverse health effects,” according to a DEQ release.

Town officials pumped the floodwater into the ocean to minimize flooding damage and ensure roads are accessible for emergency vehicles.

Signs were to be placed at the discharge site along the ocean shoreline to notify the public of the possible health risk. Those signs are to be removed 24 hours after the pumping ceases. DEQ will notify the public once the signs have been removed.

More than 1 million cubic yards of sand will be injected onto ocean shores on Oak Island in conjunction with routine maintenance dredging of the Wilmington Harbor.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Wilmington District announced Monday it has awarded an $18.6 million contract to Norfolk Dredging Co. of Chesapeake, Virginia, to clean out an estimated 1.3 million cubic yards of sand from the Wilmington Harbor Inner Ocean Bar.

The beach-compatible material will be placed on the beaches of the town of Oak Island and Caswell Beach some time during the environmental window, which runs from mid-November through April 30, according to a Corps’ release.

“This dredging project will ensure safe and efficient passage for commercial vessels while also providing the valuable benefit of beach nourishment for Oak Island,” the release states. “Maintenance dredging is a necessary process to remove accumulated sediment from the Inner Ocean Bar, ensuring the harbor maintains its authorized depth. The USACE Wilmington District remains dedicated to its mission of maintaining the nation’s waterways and supporting the economic vitality of the region through projects like this.”

OAK ISLAND — To an unsuspecting eye, it may appear trees have fared well here despite hurricanes and crop rows of houses built on this barrier island over the past couple of decades.

Pines and curvy-limbed live oaks seemingly pepper the landscape on the 12-mile-long island in Brunswick County.

But an inventory of mature live oaks and longleaf pines on town property completed a little more than a year ago revealed that not all is what it seems. The tree canopy that provides respite from scorching summer days and slows wind speeds whipped up during powerful coastal storms has depleted since the mid-2000s.

The town had 59% tree canopy cover, or nearly 7,100 of its 12,000 acres, according to a 2022 assessment, one that has helped shepherd a townwide effort to protect its existing trees and plant hundreds more.

Oak Island’s Tree Preservation Project has prompted the implementation of local rules that require property owners and builders get approval before cutting down any tree, protects hundreds of what are known as heritage live oaks and longleaf pines (those near or at 100 years old), removes Bradford pears on public land and replaces them with new live oaks, and adds hundreds more live oaks to the island.

“We’re going to grow this program,” said Brice Taylor, the town’s stormwater administrator.

He’s eager for that to happen. There is something special, arguably majestic, about old live oak trees with their broad crowns and gnarly branches stoically bowing to the earth.

On a recent, mild February morning, Taylor propped on the tailgate of a pickup truck parked to one side of a street where a Southport-based landscaping crew readied to plant more than two dozen live oaks.

The trees arrive in 25-gallon plastic pots, each stand about 12 feet tall, and are a mere five years old. In time, they’ll grow to what town officials envision as an arch-like canopy, or as one town employee put it, a “tunnel of love” over Oak Island Drive, the main thoroughfare on the island.

This is the latest round of what will be 200 plantings this year along street rights-of-way and town-owned land.

Last year, 100 young live oaks were plugged into the landscape. They are of different varieties with names like George Washington, Hoggard and Wrightsville Beach.

The trees have sprouted from acorns and carefully grown at Penderlea Farms in Burgaw, a town roughly an hour north of the island.

Because the trees are locally sourced, they’ll be more resilient to the southeastern North Carolina climate.

As the trees grow, they’ll form an intricate system of roots that act as super absorbent sponges, soaking up rainfall in a manner that helps reduce flooding.

To ensure the young live oaks consistently get enough to drink, the town has watering bags installed around each tree.

Each bag holds 20 gallons of water, which is time released into the soil at the tree’s base. The bags get refilled every five days in the summer and every four days throughout cooler months.

“It’s a very efficient way of watering,” said Bryan Whitworth, owner of GreenMan Landscape Design & Maintenance, which is planting the trees.

That’s important because watering the trees is expensive.

The town is preparing to launch an adopt-a-tree program in the next couple of weeks where participants will take over responsibility from the town and fill the watering bags.

It’s a program that is expected to be well received in a community that has by and large supported protecting and expanding the town’s tree canopy.

Taylor said a little more than 92% of lots on the island are constructed out, a testament to the growth that has occurred here.

If a property owner wants to remove a tree from his or her land, that person is required to submit a free-of-charge permit application to the town for approval.

The town encourages property owners to remove Bradford pears from their land. These weak-limbed trees are an invasive species, one that’s being targeted by a collaborative of state agencies through a program called N.C. Bradford Pear Bounty.

This program offers a one-to-one tree exchange (one replacement tree for one Bradford pear) to qualifying property owners.

More than 20 Bradford pears have been removed from Oak Island town-owned land.

Since the Oak Island Town Council adopted Town Ordinance Chapter 32: Vegetation in mid-March last year, the town has issued $8,000 in ordinance-related violations.

If a property owner wants to plant a tree, he is allowed to choose from a list of 13 species preapproved by the town.

Oak Island is a Tree City USA, an honor the National Arbor Day Foundation bestowed it 25 years ago.

This year’s Arbor Day celebration will kick off with a tree ceremony 4-5 p.m. April 25 in Bill Smith Park. The following day, the town will announce the name selected from its name-the-tree contest for the park’s main attraction, a live oak estimated to be between 200-260 years old.

“We’re working really hard to ensure (Oak Island’s) not just a name, it’s an observation,” said town communications manager Mike Emory.

Oak Island officials announced Wednesday that its newly installed beach warning notification system will enhance safety for beachgoers and add visibility to its warning flag system already in place.

The town’s public works department installed four signs with beach warning lights that feature a fully automated wireless control system that receives National Weather Service updates and then displays the current beach warning condition via signal light.

The signage was developed by SwimSmart Warning Systems of Marquette, Michigan. The firm has designed and installed similar systems in numerous states on the East Coast, West Coast, and in the Great Lakes region.

Officials said the signs are completely self-contained, using solar options for power and onboard data receivers for information.

David Kelly, the outgoing town manager, began discussions with SwimSmart in mid-2023, according to the announcement. The company designed a system for Oak Island that incorporates a purple light to indicate the risk of “stinging marine life” such as jellyfish or Portuguese men-of-war.

The four signs were installed near the following beach access locations:

• Barbee Boulevard near the Oak Island Pier.
• Oak Island Cabana (Middleton Park Complex).
• Third Place East near South Middleton Avenue.
• The Point at the end of West Beach Drive.

The signs were to be activated by the end of the day Wednesday.

The signs’ effectiveness and durability are to be evaluated during the 2024 summer season. Then officials will determine whether to expand or adapt the program.

While the lighted signs provide beachgoers with conditions at a quick glance, officials still recommend checking the Beach Safety page of the town website for full forecast and safety information. The page also contains important information on rip current safety, what to do in an emergency, and directions on how to use rescue tubes.

To view the Beach Safety page, scan the QR code found on any of the Water Safety Stations or visit OakIslandNC.gov/SAFETY.