On Jan. 27, President Biden signed an Executive Order that directs the Secretary of the Interior to pause new oil and natural gas leases on public lands and offshore waters to the extent possible. This action represents a significant step towards the permanent protection of our coast from the impacts of offshore oil and gas…
OCEAN, N.C.—Given that 2020 was such a difficult year, the North Carolina Coastal Federation is pleased to share some really remarkable and encouraging accomplishments. Thanks to the significant contributions of many partners and supporters, the federation has continued protecting and restoring the state’s coast this year. The federation overcame many challenges and tested out new…
Offshore Drilling Moratorium Expanded to NC President Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum on Sep. 25 that expanded an offshore drilling moratorium to the waters off the coast of North Carolina. The memorandum to the Department of Interior states, “this withdrawal prevents consideration of this area for any leasing for the purposes of exploration, development, or…
Senator Tillis issued a news release on Monday, September 21 announcing that “North Carolina will be included in a Presidential Memorandum withdrawing new leasing for offshore oil and gas developments for the next 12 years. Under the order leases for the purposes of offshore development are prohibited between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2032.” …
Just after Labor Day, President Trump extended a moratorium on oil and gas drilling in a portion of the Central and most of the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, and expanded the decade-long ban to planning areas off the coast of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. During his remarks, the President extended “congratulations to Florida, Georgia,…
There is no doubt that seismic blasting to explore for oil and gas off our coast will have negative effects on fish and marine mammals and will limit public access to ocean waters for recreational and commercial fishers. Because of this, the Coastal Federation joined the State of North Carolina in objecting to WesternGeco’s proposal…
Environmental groups opposing offshore oil and gas prevail for now. The legal challenge against the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) will continue in U.S. District Court in South Carolina after Judge Gergel denied the Department of Interior’s motion to dismiss it. This ruling follows a decision Judge Gergel made at the beginning of the year,…
In January, the North Carolina General Assembly completed its 2019 legislative session. With the 2020 session not expected to begin until April, now is an excellent time to review the North Carolina Coastal Federation’s 2019 state policy work. The federation had considerable success in Raleigh last year. Some of our most significant victories include: $1.8M…
The North Carolina Coastal Federation’s policy efforts in Raleigh have helped secure several million dollars in state funding to make the coast stronger during storms and reduce water pollution. In November, lawmakers at the General Assembly met in special session to address changes to the state’s congressional districts and approve disaster aid for victims of…
Last week, the North Carolina House of Representatives unanimously approved legislation to provide relief to victims of Hurricane Dorian – including a number of ambitious new investments to make the coast more resilient to storms and flooding. The House’s $280 million dollar package provides matching funds to draw down federal relief funding, as well as…