Commentary

  • Dick Bierly is longtime president of the North Carolina Coastal Federation. Photo: Mark Hibbs

    Remembering a Tireless Coastal Advocate

    Our publisher Todd Miller reflects on the legacy of Dick Bierly, who died Wednesday at 86, and his longtime involvement with the North Carolina Coastal Federation and his tireless efforts to protect the coast.

  • NC Environmental Policy Talks Mostly Secret

    In recognition of Sunshine Week, the annual celebration of access to public information, our Kirk Ross examines how the people’s work too often happens behind closed doors in Raleigh.

  • We Must Do More To Protect Coastal Waters

    Guest columnist Stevenson Weeks writes that the Newport River, known for its tasty oysters, is in peril unless lawmakers act on water quality recommendations to protect the resource.

  • Songs on a Nags Head Porch

    Author and historian David Cecelski visits with Gerret Warner and Mimi Gredy, who are making a documentary on Frank and Anne Warner and the coastal North Carolina folksingers and musicians who shared their songs and stories with the two American folk music collectors.

  • Smarter Energy Investment Needed Now

    Guest columnist R. Bruce Holsten writes that market conditions, inherent risks and other business-related factors make Atlantic offshore exploration and drilling an unwise investment.

  • Sam’s Field Notes: Wildlife Festivals Ahead

    Celebrate North Carolina’s wildlife during Swan Days Festival at Lake Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge and Wings Over Water Wildlife Festival encore, both the second weekend in December.

  • Improving NC’s Floodplain Buyout Program

    David Salvesen and Todd K. BenDor of UNC-Chapel Hill explain in today’s guest commentary their research on identifying ways to improve the floodplain buyout process in North Carolina.