With millions of acres of coastal waters, North Carolina recognizes the importance of shellfish to its economy, cultural heritage and environmental health. The state is on its way to becoming the Napa Valley of Oysters.
The North Carolina Marine Debris Action Plan includes several tangible steps that need to be taken over the next five years to both prevent and remove marine debris along the coast. The plan was developed by the North Carolina Coastal Federation, N.C. Coastal Reserve, N.C. Division of Coastal Management, N.C. Sea Grant, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, Coastal Carolina Riverwatch, and the N.C. Marine Debris Symposium.
The North Carolina Coastal Federation worked with partners and shellfish growers to produce voluntary best management practices for the prevention of marine debris from shellfish leases.
The Federation partnered with industry experts from NOAA, North Carolina Sea Grant, and commercial shellfish operations to develop best management practices (BMPs) for the prevention of marine debris from the shellfish mariculture industry. These BMPs provide a guide for new growers and lease applicants to follow to make their best effort in keeping gear on the farm during normal operations as well as in preparation for a storm.
The Lower Cape Fear River Blueprint is a collaborative planning effort, led by the North Carolina Coastal Federation, to protect, manage and restore the important estuarine and riverine natural resources of the lower Cape Fear River.
In 2006, partners began to talk about the decline in the quality of local shellfishing waters, mainly due to stormwater pollution. The Coastal Federation teamed up with Brunswick County, state agencies, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to prepare a study and restoration plan for the river. The plan targets simple solutions to infiltrate rain and reduce polluted runoff.
Glenn Blackburn, professor emeritus of history at University of Virginia’s College at Wise, has completed a history of the North Carolina Coastal Federation based upon hundreds of interviews he conducted with people who have been key players in shaping our coast.
While wetlands can’t protect us from the devastating flooding of a storm like Hurricane Florence, healthy habitats – and good planning – can shield us from some of the worst impacts and can help our communities recover more quickly. The North Carolina Coastal Federation’s Coastal Resilience Initiative strengthens our natural defenses by restoring habitats and protecting our coastal communities.
For a quick review of accomplishments, lessons learned, and living shoreline permit categories, check out this presentation on Living Shoreline Permitting in NC.
There are so many benefits to installing a schoolyard rain garden. Use this manual to best utilize your living classroom!
2016 State of the Oyster ReportDownload
View presentations from the July 17, 2017 working meeting about the invasive species, Phragmites
The Swan Island Oyster Sanctuary is one project aimed at protecting and restoring oyster population in North Carolina.
The Coastal Federation teamed up with Swansboro to develop a watershed restoration plan for the town which lays out a framework for reducing stormwater runoff that flows into Foster, Halls, Hammocks, Historic, and Ward/Hawkins Creeks ultimately reaching the White Oak.
A two-day summit held in Raleigh in March 2017 brought together appointed and elected officials, business leaders, scientists, academics, economic developers, tourism leaders and shellfish growers from North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland to discuss and plan for North Carolina’s opportunities for economic development through oyster aquaculture and coastal environmental restoration.
Visit us in Wrightsville Beach for a 1-mile walking tour of our stormwater reduction projects and check out the ways we help to keep your local waterways clean.
Our Strategy: 2016 Goals and Approaches Download
2015 State of the Oyster ReportDownload
To better document how habitat enhancement projects in North Carolina improve the coastal economy and environment, the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership contracted with RTI International to assess the benefits and costs of the three oyster programs under the NCDMF habitat enhancement programs.
On July 31, 2015 the North Carolina Coastal Federation held a daylong forum to address the issues of offshore drilling in our state. Issues such as economic impact, environmental conditions and social aspects were discussed.
The Coastal Federation is working with federal, state, and local leaders, economic developers, private businesses, and coastal residents to create and implement an economic development strategy for the coast that also protects and restores coastal resources. Investment in coastal restoration creates short-term and long-term jobs, boosts fisheries, and ensures a clean environment that benefits the tourism industry. This draft comprehensive strategic blueprint explains how programs and projects that protect coastal resources also strengthen economic growth along the coast.
North Carolina’s estuarine system consists of approximately 23 inlets, 12,000 miles of estuarine shoreline, and more than 3,000 square miles of brackish water estuaries. Some of these areas are rapidly developing and lack coastal management strategies. Those communities are experiencing the issues such as habitat degradation, water quality changes, erosion and land loss, aging infrastructure, and conflicts over access are a few examples. Local governments are considering solutions to protect infrastructure from flooding and coastal change. Developing and implementing solutions require careful examination of the science and the legal and policy obstacles that are in place. The study below adds to the coastal management strategies discussions already taking place at the state and local levels and in the homes and businesses of those living on the coast.
A Blueprint for Action 2015-2020Download
The Water Summit addressed the challenges and solutions for maintaining our water supplies over the next few decades. It identified what prudent management is necessary to prepare an adequate supply of clean water for our communities.
More than 150 state legislators, commercial fishermen, mariculturists, government, academic, private and non-profit professionals met in Raleigh to explore the economic and environmental returns on investing in North Carolina’s oyster restoration, enhancement and production.
To better document how coastal restoration in North Carolina also affects community and economic development, the North Carolina Coastal Federation contracted with RTI International to assess the link between coastal restoration and economic development, perform an economic impact analysis of related projects, review how other states benefit from coastal restoration, and identify how coastal restoration fits within the state’s larger economic development strategies.
With the help of the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, the N.C. Coastal Federation has a new documents archive. The effort representing the work of the federation from its beginning in 1982 until 2004 have been put into an electronic format and stored in the UNCW’s library database.
If your property is experiencing erosion, use this guide as a tool to learn about the choices you have in controlling your shoreline erosion and help you decide which approach is right for you situation.
