The Vivens Aqua grounded near Ocracoke Inlet Jan. 25.
parks-refuges
Outer Banks NPS sites saw 4 million visitors in 2021
The three National Park Service sites on the Outer Banks combined to host a record number with nearly 4 million visits last year.
Forgotten message in a bottle washes up 25 miles away
The message a South Dakota family put in a bottle and tossed in Corolla waters in 2016 was not an SOS, but a note asking to be contacted when and where the bottle washed up, which Steve Jarvis with Kitty Hawks Woods Reserve was happy to oblige.
Frisco Bathhouse renovation nearing completion
Renovations at the Frisco Bathhouse and Beach Access are expected to be completed this spring.
Park Service launches webpage to track grounded vessels
Cape Hatteras National Seashore has launched a webpage to keep track of grounded vessels on Park Service property.
New event rules in effect for NC Coastal Reserves
Permission must now be granted to hold special or commercial activities on any of the 10 North Carolina Coastal Reserves.
CRC to consider variance for new N.C. 12 sandbags
The N.C. Department of Transportation is asking the Coastal Resources Commission to grant a variance to allow construction of a sandbag wall that officials say will protect a dead-end turnaround after the “jug-handle” bridge construction is complete.
Fuel to be removed from vessel grounded on Ocracoke
Efforts are ongoing in the removal of a 55-foot yacht that grounded Tuesday near the south end of Ocracoke Island.
Jockey’s Ridge most visited as NC parks shatter records
North Carolina state parks and recreation areas saw 22.8 million visitors last year, 3 million more than in 2020.
National Park Service offers free entry on special days
All National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee, including Wright Brothers National Memorial, will offer free admission to everyone on a handful of special days.
Bridge will bypass Pea Island, but refuge access to remain
The new “jug handle” bridge bypassing the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge is set to open early this year.
Natural, cultural resources department celebrates 50 years
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources is celebrating this year its 50th anniversary as a state cabinet-level agency with events and online content.
Sams sworn in as National Park Service director
Charles “Chuck” F. Sams III was sworn in Dec. 16 as director of the National Park Service by Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland.
Visitor center at Pea Island Refuge gets new lease on life
Federal officials were on hand Friday for a pandemic-delayed ribbon cutting at the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, which was elevated 5 feet and renovated, work that was completed in spring 2020.
Student study finds Buxton Woods a healthy, valued reserve
UNC students participating in a capstone study project at the Coastal Studies Institute found that the Buxton Woods Coastal Reserve is both apparently healthy and valued in various ways by Hatteras Island residents.
Cape Lookout is now a certified International Dark Sky Park
Cape Lookout National Seashore in Carteret County is the first Atlantic coastal Dark Sky Place in the National Park Service to receive the certification from the International Dark Sky Association.