Press Releases

The N.C. Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve, a program of the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management, is again partnering with Cape Lookout National Seashore and the Foundation for Shackleford Horses Inc. to offer the Pony Patrol volunteer program.

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management (DCM) anticipates that approximately $1.5 million in funding will be available for the 2026-27 fiscal year to help local governments improve public access to coastal beaches and waters. The Public Beach and Coastal Waterfront Access program provides matching funds to local governments to construct public access facilities in the state’s 20 coastal counties.

The N.C. Coastal Resources Commission (CRC) Executive Committee is scheduled to meet via web conference on Jan. 27 at 11 a.m. to discuss the agenda for the February regular business meeting. The public may listen to the meeting by computer or phone.

Sheepshead regulations will change for both recreational and commercial fisheries beginning March 1. The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries is implementing changes because of increases in sheepshead harvest, particularly juvenile fish, in recent years.

The N.C. Coastal Resources Commission (CRC) Science Panel is scheduled to meet via web conference on Jan. 29 at 11 a.m. to discuss preparing the “Effects of Hard Structures on Coastlines” report. At the CRC’s November 2025 meeting, the panel was tasked with evaluating alternatives for managing oceanfront erosion. The purpose of this meeting is to develop an outline for the report to propose to the CRC.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management (DCM) announced today that the Army Corps of Engineers, in coordination with the non-federal project sponsor (the North Carolina State Ports Authority), has asked DCM to pause its review of the Corps’ Consistency Determination for the proposed Wilmington Harbor Federal Channel Deepening Project. The Division of Coastal Management has granted the request to pause its review.

Itching to share your ideas on federal fisheries management? The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries encourages fishermen to attend one of four upcoming South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Lines of Communication meetings scheduled for North Carolina.

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries will hold a public hearing on proposed shellfish leases in Onslow County at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. The hearing will be held in person at the Holly Ridge Community Center, 404 Sound Rd, Holly Ridge, NC 28445, and by web conference.

In 2025, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) supported communities recovering from Hurricane Helene, took actions to address PFAS contamination and continued to protect the state’s natural resources for the health and prosperity of all North Carolinians.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resource (DWR) has released data from a preliminary study that found per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) present in soil, wastewater and biosolids, the nutrient-rich organic material after wastewater has been treated. The study is the agency’s first investigation assessing PFAS concentrations in biosolids across the state.

Dry conditions are widespread in North Carolina, according to the latest update from the North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council released on Thursday.

Chris Lee was formally pinned during a ceremony today as the new Colonel of the N.C. Marine Patrol, the top law enforcement officer at the Division of Marine Fisheries.

The North Carolina Environmental Management Commission will meet Jan. 7-8 in the Ground Floor Hearing Room of the Archdale Building in Raleigh. Members of the public may attend in-person or join the meeting by computer or phone. 

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management (DCM) has been granted additional time by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to complete its review of a federal request to deepen and widen the Wilmington Harbor, extending the decision deadline from Jan. 5, 2026, to Jan. 19, 2026.