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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The Leadership Carteret class of 2020 learned about stormwater runoff at this year’s visit to the North Carolina Coastal Federation’s Ocean office. Leadership Carteret is an annual program that brings together some of Carteret County’s top decision-makers and business leaders. During the 10-week program, members attend Wednesday presentations at organizations throughout the county. This year’s…
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Thank you to everyone who joined us at our 7th Annual Hatteras Island Oyster Roast on Feb. 1! This event was our biggest and most successful ever despite cool temperatures and brisk winds. We hope you had fun and join us for next year’s event! Check out these stories about our fun event: Island Free…
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Last week during an unusually warm day in January, 40 volunteers including those from the public, Marines from Camp Lejeune, students from NC State’s COPRI chapter and UNCW Master of Coastal and Ocean Policy and missionaries from the church of Jesus Christ LDS gathered at Morris Landing Clean Water Preserve and successfully removed over 500lbs of…
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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…
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On Friday, January 10, the North Carolina Coastal Federation and 25 volunteers including volunteers from the public, southeast coastal ambassadors, and Marines from Camp LeJeune, helped bag a total of 768 bags of oyster shell. These shell bags will be used to create an oyster reef habitat as part of a living shoreline at Morris…
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On Jan. 11 the North Carolina Coastal Federation’s northeast office kicked off the year with a volunteer debris cleanup in the Wanchese area. The staff members were joined by 34 volunteers from as far as Chapel Hill, Oriental and Corolla along with the familiar faces of our northeast volunteers. A few of the participants had…
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Last week, staff from the North Carolina Coastal Federation’s central office gave a presentation on rain gardens at the Beaufort Garden Club’s January meeting. The Garden Club, which celebrated its 60th anniversary on Jan. 9, is a volunteer group that works to maintain public gardens, promote good gardening practices and conserve the natural beauty of…
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OCEAN — Taking out the trash that litters and degrades the North Carolina coast is the goal of a new action plan developed by a diverse group of partners. Called the North Carolina Marine Debris Action Plan, it includes a number of tangible steps that need to be taken over the next five years to…
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Looking back on 2019, the federation is proud of our collaborative impact on coastal water quality, habitat protection and restoration. Here is a snapshot of some of our accomplishments in the past year: Protecting Coastal Water Quality This year, the federation partnered with the Town of Beaufort, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, City of…
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OCEAN — For the sixth year in a row, the North Carolina Coastal Federation has earned a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator — the highest possible rating from the nonprofit evaluator. According to Charity Navigator, only nine percent of charities receive a 4-star rating six consecutive years. In addition to the highest rating, this year the federation actually earned the…
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Recently, the North Carolina Coastal Federation, community volunteers and students from Croatan High School worked together to build a living shoreline along Bogue Sound. The group hauled and stacked 1,125 bags of recycled oyster shells to create the structure’s foundation. Living shorelines are an environmentally friendly way to reduce sound side erosion. They provide habitat…
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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…
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