The North Carolina Coastal Federation achieved one of its key policy goals recently when the North Carolina General Assembly approved legislation that includes $3.3 million for the preservation of the Stroud Property on Bogue Sound in Carteret County. Protecting this property from development was at the top of the federation’s to-do list for the 2019…
On Sept. 12, 2019, The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Environmental Protection Agency (“agencies”) announced a final rule (“Repeal Rule”) that changes the definition of the “Waters of the United States” under the Clean Water Act. Effectively, this rule repeals the 2015 rule in which the Obama administration expanded the definition of waters covered…
The U.S. House of Representatives voted in favor of two bills that would prevent new offshore drilling from occurring off the Atlantic, Pacific and Florida Gulf Coast. First, the House passed a bill introduced by Rep. Rooney (R-FL-19) — Protecting and Securing Florida’s Coastline Act of 2019 (H.R. 205) — by a vote of 248-180.…
As Gov. Cooper and the General Assembly continue to try to reach a compromise on the new state budget, it’s a good time to take a moment and thank those legislators who helped the North Carolina Coastal Federation with its legislative agenda this year. Reps. Pat McElraft and Larry Yarborough, as well as Sen. Norman…
The North Carolina General Assembly recently completed its work on the state budget and most of the North Carolina Coastal Federation’s budget priorities were funded – assuming lawmakers can reach a compromise with Gov. Cooper on a final state spending plan. The final legislative budget proposal included a variety of coastal investments: $1.5M to match…
A crowd of nearly 300 gathered in Havelock on June 11 and 12 for the North Carolina Coastal Resilience Summit. The North Carolina Coastal Federation and North Carolina Division of Coastal Management hosted the event to solicit ideas and potential strategies for inclusion in the North Carolina Resiliency Plan. In October 2018, Governor Roy Cooper…
The North Carolina Coastal Federation, PFAST Network and UNC–Wilmington hosted Emerging Contaminants in the Cape Fear Region: University Collaborations on Environmental, Drinking Water Supply and Human Health Effects on Friday, May 31 in Wilmington. Composed of research presentations and a live Q&A, the forum served to provide a public conversation about the North Carolina PFAS…
The month of May typically marks the home stretch of the North Carolina General Assembly’s long session, so it’s a good time to take stock of the North Carolina Coastal Federation’s 2019 legislative agenda. Here’s a quick rundown: Oysters Earlier this year, the UNC Collaboratory released a strategic plan that included regulatory reforms and new…
The release of the 2019-2024 Proposed National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program has been postponed indefinitely according to Interior Secretary David Bernhardt. Bernhardt explained in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, published on Apr. 25, 2019, that the agency will await the outcome of the appeals process against the decision from…
On March 29, Judge Gleason of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska overturned President Trump’s push to open up 128 million acres in Arctic and Atlantic waters to oil and gas drilling. These federal waters were withdrawn from lease sales in 2015 and 2016, making them off-limits to oil and gas exploration…