New rules have been implemented for the spotted seatrout harvest season, which opened earlier this week in inland and joint fishing waters.
Wildlife Resources Commission
State wildlife officers to increase presence on waterways
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission law enforcement officers will increase their presence on North Carolina waters through the July 4 holiday weekend.
Plan would address threatened eastern black rails’ habitat loss
A public comment period is open on a proposed management plan that seeks to rebuild the once-abundant birds’ numbers by permanently protecting coastal marshes and helping private landowners create habitat.
State wildlife agency seeks conservation steward nominations
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is accepting nominations for the annual Thomas L. Quay Award through Friday.
Spotted seatrout harvest to reopen July 1 with new rules
Spotted seatrout season is to reopen July 1, with new measures for commercial and recreational harvest in coastal and joint waters, after a monthslong closure following widespread cold stuns.
Wildlife agency releases draft species management plan
Public comments will be accepted through July 5 to the draft update of the North Carolina State Wildlife Action Plan, which identifies and prioritizes species of greatest conservation need in the state.
‘GatorWise’ advises how to live responsibly among alligators
The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission has joined the near dozen other southeastern U.S. states that American alligators call home by launching GatorWise.
Sam’s Field Notes: Migratory owls and climate change
Naturalist Sam Bland and his wife Bright, while in western Wyoming, recently trekked into the night to observe a researcher who specializes in capturing, banding and monitoring the movements of northern saw-whet owls, a threatened species here in North Carolina.
Recreational spotted seatrout season temporarily closed
State wildlife officials say the temporary closure through June 30 was made to avoid confusion.
Coastal commission OKs limited use of wheat straw bales
The North Carolina Coastal Resources Commission has changed an oceanfront development rule to allow wheat straw bales be used under certain conditions as an alternative to sand fencing to try and fend off erosion, a move environmental and wildlife groups oppose.
Agencies set to spread word on mandatory harvest reporting
Division of Marine Fisheries and Wildlife Resources Commission, the two agencies that manage state fisheries, are working to prepare recreational and commercial fishermen for the mandatory harvest reporting rules that are to go in effect Dec. 1.
Invasive bass species spreads to North Carolina coastal areas
Alabama bass, which are often mistaken for spotted or largemouth bass, are an invasive species to North Carolina that are now being found in the state’s coastal areas.
Southport gives state more time on proposed land deal
The Southport Board of Aldermen voted 4-1 last week to extend an option agreement to the state Wildlife Resources Commission to purchase from the city more than 400 undeveloped acres, but one member objected to the $637,000 price.
Mattamuskeet’s invasive carp boycott carp-removal effort
“What we found is we’re not finding the carp numbers in the lake that we thought were there,” Kendall Smith, refuge manager at Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge, told the Lake Mattamuskeet Watershed Restoration Plan Core Stakeholder Team at a recent meeting.
Public mixed on game land access pass plan during hearing
The Wildlife Resources Commission has proposed requiring paid passes for recreational uses of state game lands, a plan that could improve safety during hunting season but may make access out of reach for large user groups.
Wildlife commission seeks advisory committee nominees
Eligible North Carolina residents’ names may be submitted for the state Nongame Wildlife Advisory Committee membership through April 18.
