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…
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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.” …
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The North Carolina Coastal Federation will be removing large-scale marine debris in the Albemarle-Pamlico Sound with a grant award from the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Marine Debris Program. The federation will coordinate the project in partnership with Dare County and the N.C. Division of Coastal Management. The major goal of this NOAA Marine…
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The end of summer marked the completion of construction of a 2,460-foot granite sill living shoreline at the town of Oriental’s Whittaker Pointe peninsula. The federation worked with the town, Quible & Associates P.C., Carolina Marine Structures, Restoration Systems and local residents to construct the large-scale living shoreline that now helps protect the nearly 300…
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Wanchese, N.C.—From a tasty supper to the sound, the North Carolina Coastal Federation recently built its first oyster reef entirely from oyster shells collected by local restaurants. The creation of this reef kicks off the group’s Restaurant to Reef Oyster Shell Recycling program that turns oyster shells collected from dining establishments into new habitat for…
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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,…
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Baby oysters and many coastal species will soon have a new home in the Pamlico Sound. The North Carolina Coastal Federation, in partnership with the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries (division), has been recommended for funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to add 15 acres of new oyster reef habitat in Pamlico…
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Participants logging in from over 100 computers joined the North Carolina Coastal Federation to celebrate the 2020 Pelican Awards from their homes. On Thursday, Aug. 6, winners from up and down the coast shared inspiring stories of coastal stewardship, as well as their work to protect and restore the coast. Although this year’s celebration was…
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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…
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OCEAN – Continuing its efforts to foster the shellfish mariculture industry, and with the support from the U.S. Economic Development Administration and the Department of Commerce, the North Carolina Coastal Federation has completed a feasibility study to determine the most prominent needs of the shellfish industry and propose a plan to address them. The ultimate…
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SWAN QUARTER – Hyde County and East Carolina University contracted the North Carolina Coastal Federation to advance community engagement and implementation of the Lake Mattamuskeet Watershed Restoration Plan. This restoration plan outlines steps that need to be taken to maintain the way of life within the county and improve water management and water quality in…
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Three high school seniors honored by the North Carolina Coastal Federation’s expanded awards program OCEAN – The North Carolina Coastal Federation is honoring three graduating high school seniors with the 2020 Coastal Stewardship Award. Henry Ferrell of Wilmington, Ella Harlacher of Swansboro, and Dylan Gray of Hatteras have been selected to receive the annual award…
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WANCHESE—The North Carolina Coastal Federation is working with soundfront shoreline property owners to install living shorelines that reduce erosion and maintain valuable habitat. In order to encourage estuarine shoreline landowners to install living shorelines, the federation is administering cost-share grant funds from the North Carolina Clean Water Management Trust Fund. The grant allows the federation…
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Farmers, fishermen and residents in the easternmost regions of North Carolina are dealing daily with the effects of climate change, though they may have other explanations for what they experience. “Changing Minds On Climate Science” is a multipart series that goes beyond Coastal Review Online’s daily reporting on coastal environmental issues and the people here…
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OCEAN – After several years of planning, construction of the living shoreline at Whittaker Pointe in Oriental, NC has begun. The Whittaker Pointe peninsula serves as the primary defense for almost 300 town buildings, businesses and residences against the waves and surge from the Neuse River during storms and routine high wind events. Unfortunately,…
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The hard surfaces of parking lots usually contribute to polluted stormwater runoff and flooding by collecting rain and directing it to storm drains. But a new project at UNC-Wilmington funded by the EPA Section 319 program is reversing this course and reducing runoff. Engineering firm Coastal Stormwater Services, Inc. worked with the Coastal Federation to…
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The Coastal Federation is the proud new owner of our very own oyster farm demonstration site at the Wanchese office. The half-acre site is set up in Broad Creek just outside of the office, and includes eight rows of pvc pipe that are staked into the ground, strung together with rope, which hold bags of…
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OCEAN– The North Carolina Coastal Federation partnered with Carteret County to acquire 76.25 acres of land in the community of Ocean on March 20, 2020. Located between the Morada Bay Subdivision and Red Barn Road, the property has a remarkable view of the Bogue Sound that will ultimately be shared with and accessible by the…
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Since the plan was officially approved, three grants have been awarded to advance the Lake Mattamsukeet Watershed Restoration Plan. 1) The Clean Water Management Trust Fund awarded a grant to Hyde County. This project will allow stakeholders to consider developing a service district that would help to manage water levels in the watershed. It would…
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Can you imagine spending your spring break doing service projects instead of hitting the beach all day? Well, earlier this month, students from Roanoke College and East Carolina University (ECU) joined staff at our northeast and central offices to do just that. Their willingness to spend a week volunteering with us on projects to protect…
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On March 13, Dr. Lexia Weaver, federation coastal scientist and central region office manager, presented on the merits of using living shorelines as a sound nature based resiliency strategy to a group of over 800 remote participants at a national briefing organized by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute. Founded in 1984 by a bipartisan…
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WILMINGTON – The North Carolina Coastal Federation is pleased to announce a generous grant from the Orton Foundation to mitigate pollution, restore coastal habitats and water quality, and strengthen coastal resilience in the Lower Cape Fear River estuary. Coastal Federation efforts will include a multi-pronged approach to enhancing the region’s natural defenses against extreme weather, supporting living shorelines…
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WILMINGTON – Under the leadership of the North Carolina Coastal Federation, over 45 tons of trash and debris was recently removed by local watermen from the coastal marshes and waters around Topsail Island. Funded through by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Marine Debris Program’s Community- Based Marine Debris Removal Grant Program, the two-year grant…
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The North Carolina Coastal Federation’s southeast region along with 37 volunteers including our southeast coastal ambassadors, Marines from Camp LeJeune, SERVPRO of New Hanover, Rhea Engineers & Consultants, Inc, and Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar, Surf City created 552 bags of recycled oyster shells, approximately 5 tons, and 600 bags of marl, approximately 9 tons. These…
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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,…
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