A hearing is set for next week on the proposed definition rolled out last month for “Waters of the United States,” which outlines the waterbodies eligible for protection under the federal Clean Water Act, that conservationists warn will leave millions of acres of nontidal wetlands vulnerable to pollution, harm fish habitat and worsen flooding.
Holiday lights are aglow ahead of annual Waterfowl Weekend
The Core Sound Waterfowl Museum and Heritage Center is celebrating the holidays and heritage with its annual Waterfowl Weekend set for Friday through Sunday at the museum on Harkers Island.
CRC votes on language, again, to protect Jockey’s Ridge
The Coastal Resources Commission during its regular meeting last week voted on proposed language that changes the “Description” of Jockey’s Ridge to the “Designation” in an attempt to satisfy the most recent Rules Review Commission’s objection.
EPA, Army Corps leaders publish revised ‘WOTUS’ definition
Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers officials said Monday that proposed changes to the existing “waters of the United States” definition are to focus on relatively permanent, standing or continuously flowing bodies of water.
Update: Blue crab harvest vote removed from agenda
The Marine Fisheries Commission was expected to consider adopting more restrictions on the commercial harvest of blue crabs, a move the N.C. Carolina Coastal Counties Fisheries Coalition opposes, but the item has been removed from an updated agenda.
Pony Patrol marks three years of watchful eyes over herds
The third season for the persistently protective volunteers was off to a rough start with abandoned foals having to be removed from the herd, but summer turned around with a filly’s birth on Shackleford Island.
Records point to 13 unmarked graves in Old Burying Ground
Carteret County native Bill Lewis has spent the last few years digging through records to corroborate what he’s always heard: that 13 of his ancestors are buried in unmarked graves in the Old Burying Ground.
North Carolina’s national park sites in 2024 bring in $2.3B
Around 4.7 million visitors spent $732.2 million in the communities surrounding the North Carolina coast’s five National Park Service sites, a recent report finds.
Hurricanes are getting increasingly worse: Climatologist
As tropical storms become wetter and more intense, the perception that hurricanes are just a coastal issue has changed in the last century, Assistant State Climatologist Corey Davis says.
Blue crab populations decline after juvenile stage: Study
The blue crab population in the Albemarle-Pamlico Estuarine System is disappearing sometime between when juveniles leave their nursery habitats and before reaching sexual maturity, a recent study finds.
Seafood coalition proposes moving Fisheries to Agriculture
The new North Carolina Coastal Counties Fisheries Coalition’s held its second meeting last week, during which it laid out priorities that include transferring the Division of Marine Fisheries from the Department of Environmental Quality to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Coastal Federation lauds environmental stewards, volunteers
The North Carolina Coastal Federation celebrated 15 coastal stewards Saturday during the annual Pelican Awards ceremony for sharing “their time and talents, through leadership, education, hands-on projects, and volunteer efforts, to inspire others and create lasting change.”
Shark meat could be high in mercury, mislabeled: Study
Meat labeled “shark” for sale in grocery stores and fish markets may be from critically endangered species or have significant mercury in its tissue, according to a UNC Chapel Hill study.
Bulkheads lead to salt marsh erosion, total loss: Study
Researchers found that all 45 bulkhead sites analyzed for a recent study experienced marsh shoreline erosion during the 32-year study period, with complete marsh loss at 11% of the sites.
Only half of state’s known sea turtle nests hatched before Erin
Many of the state’s sea turtle nests had hatched before Hurricane Erin passed offshore but those still incubating suffered overwash, and some nests were entirely lost.
Cape Lookout Lighthouse set for $15 million renovation
The 163-foot-tall tower will soon shed its distinctive black-and-white diamond pattern, expose its red bricks not seen since 1873 and don newly refurbished ironwork, safety improvements and breathable paint as part of the preservation effort.
