Oct. 16 marked the fifth public meeting in a series designed to secure input and feedback from the public in the development of the Lake Mattamuskeet Watershed Restoration Plan. The lake is considered unhealthy and is listed on the state 303(d) list for impaired waters. This means that actions must be taken to improve water…
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Hurricane Florence damaged many docks along the coast. The soil behind some bulkheads was also scoured out and many of these hard structures failed. Living shorelines on the other hand weathered the storm, outperforming more traditional shoreline management techniques like bulkheads. Living shorelines include planted salt marsh grasses and low profile sills or marsh…
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The North Carolina Coastal Federation’s 2018 Low Country Boil will take place on Oct. 28 from 5-8 p.m. at the Hanover Seaside Club. Half of the proceeds from this event will be used to support Wilmington Area Rebuilding Ministry, Inc. (WARM)’s post-Hurricane Florence recovery projects. WARM was founded in 1996 in response to Hurricane Bertha…
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If you are replanting in your yard, the North Carolina Coastal Federation has some great native plants that are available for purchase at headquarters office in Ocean. Stop by any time between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday to purchase coastal native plants that will brighten up homes and yards while also providing…
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With North Carolina slowly beginning the process of recovering from Hurricane Florence, the North Carolina General Assembly is scheduled to meet Oct. 15 to approve a multimillion-dollar package of aid to farmers, flooded out homeowners, small businesses and disaster-stricken communities. On Oct. 10, Gov. Roy Cooper released his Hurricane Florence recovery plan, which includes substantial…
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OCEAN – Hurricane Florence’s big storm surge destroyed many docks, walkways and bulkheads along our coast. “There are large, mangled piles of chemically preserved lumber and poles from docks and bulkheads washed up all along our shorelines,” said Todd Miller, executive director of the North Carolina Coastal Federation. “Now people are asking what they should…
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The week before Hurricane Florence landed on the North Carolina coast, staff and volunteers in the federation’s Northeast office spent an afternoon monitoring an oyster restoration site on the southern end of Roanoke Island, near Thicket Lump. This 200-foot section of sill was initially built three years ago and is monitored at least once a…
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In late August, the North Carolina Coastal Federation held a living shoreline workday where staff and volunteers worked together to complete a living shoreline in Starkey Creek using bags of recycled oyster shells. This shoreline will protect the shore from erosion and create habitat for many marine creatures including oysters, which help filter and clean…
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OCEAN – Officials with the North Carolina Coastal Federation and the state of North Carolina advise residents and tourists that it’s not yet safe to swim and wade in coastal waters. Massive amounts of polluted runoff are still flowing into coastal waterways all along areas of our coast impacted by heavy rains from Hurricane Florence.…
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The North Carolina Coastal Federation staff and volunteers were pleased to act as Avalon Pier’s zone captain for the Outer Banks Surfrider Foundation’s annual OBX Beach Sweep and TrashFest on Sept. 22. Both locals and visitors gathered at multiple accesses to remove trash from the beach. While the sweep had been planned far in advance,…
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This page has been updated with new information regarding the event. The North Carolina Coastal Federation’s 2018 Low Country Boil is set to take place on Oct. 28 from 5-8 p.m. at the Hanover Seaside Club. The event will feature fresh shrimp, beer provided by Waterman’s Brewing Company and wine provided by SeaGlass wines, live…
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August wraps up a summer-long program led by the North Carolina Coastal Federation’s office in Ocean. The summer began with a group of third- and fourth-graders from Maysville Elementary School who visited Emerald Isle in May. The group spent the day hiking the nature trail at Emerald Isle Woods Park and later went to the…
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Hundreds of people attended the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) PFAS Community Engagement Event on Tuesday, Aug. 14, in Fayetteville. PFAS are a group of man-made industrial chemicals – perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances – that include GenX. Although research on the potential effects of these emerging compounds is limited, scientific evidence associates these compounds with adverse human…
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A federal judge sided with the North Carolina Coastal Federation and other conservation groups Thursday when he issued an injunction that blocked the federal administration’s attempt to suspend the Clean Water Rule. The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) represented the federation, the South Carolina Coastal Conservation League, Charleston Waterkeeper, American Rivers, Chattachoochee Riverkeeper, Clean Water…
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The North Carolina Coastal Federation recently signed on to a comment letter written by the Southern Environmental Law Center in opposition to the proposed Well Control Rule changes. The Well Control Rule (WCR) was put into place after the biggest oil spill in U.S. history, Deepwater Horizon. The rule was created to make offshore drilling…
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The North Carolina Coastal Federation is teaming up with the University of North Carolina Wilmington’s Environmental Science Department, East Carolina Council (ECC) and Pine Knoll Shores to create a watershed restoration plan for the coastal community in Carteret County. The Pine Knoll Shores watershed restoration planning process began early this year and the plan is…
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A total of 37 people attended a field trip to the Wanchese office with Mano al Hermano, including students and adults. Mano al Hermano serves the Latino community in Dare County. One of its programs is a Family Literacy Program that provides free home-based tutoring. The field trip that took place is a culmination of…
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On Aug. 9, the North Carolina Coastal Federation hosted a Living Shorelines Open House. At the open house, waterfront homeowners were invited to learn more about what they could do to prevent shoreline erosion on their property. While some homeowners at the event simply wanted to gain new insight into the work of the…
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Wanchese office intern and North Carolina State Unversity student, Kadie Midgett, has spent her past two summers working at the federation’s Northeast office. This summer she has worked to develop new applications for the federation’s monitoring efforts. Kadie has spent 240 hours, funded by the Golden LEAF Scholars Leadership Program, completing two Android apps for…
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From left to right: Duke students, supported by the Stanback Internship Program, B Stevens, Max Issokson and Devri Adams and ECU student, supported by the SECU Public Fellows Internship Program, Madeline Tripp. Over the past few months, four Coastal Policy and Restoration Interns spent their summer working for the federation on various projects that work…
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Video by Mark Hibbs North Carolina becomes the first state in the Southeast and sixth in the nation to launch a state Shellfish Initiative as state officials made the announcement on Aug. 2 at a public event at N.C. State University’s Center for Marine Sciences and Technology. Approximately 75 people attended, including scientists, state…
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Photo by Sam Bland On Saturday, July 28, the 2018 Pelican Award recipients were honored at the Crystal Coast Civic Center in Morehead City for their outstanding contributions to protecting the North Carolina coast. 2018 marked the 10th year the annual awards have been presented by the North Carolina Coastal Federation. Joe Ramus, president of…
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WANCHESE — The North Carolina Coastal Federation worked with a local contractor to deploy 25 oyster reef balls along the shoreline at their office in the Wanchese Marine Industrial Park last week. These oyster reef balls are made from concrete and designed with lots of surface area for baby oysters to attach to and grow…
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The North Carolina Coastal Federation’s Wanchese office has been busy this summer working with local community groups. Recently, staff helped to lead activities for a Kitty Hawk Cub Scout Troop. The troop and their parents visited a living shoreline at Jockey’s Ridge State Park. The group of 21 Cub Scouts, rising second through fifth graders,…
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Last week, the Wanchese office joined Jennette’s Pier for a week-long summer camp for teenagers called Green Teens. The week was filled with coastal explorations and allowed the teens to focus on service and volunteering. The seven campers helped the North Carolina Coastal Federation make 150 oyster bags that they then placed on the shoreline at…
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