Press Releases

The N.C. Coastal Habitat Protection Plan Steering Committee will meet by web conference from 10 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, May 27.

On May 25, the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) will reopen some internal fishing waters to gill nets managed under the State’s Endangered Species Act Section 10 Incidental Take Permit (ITP).

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s (NCDEQ) Division of Coastal Management (DCM), in partnership with the North Carolina Coastal Land Trust, will host a public event to mark the transfer of The Topsail Nature Preserve to state management.  A ribbon cutting ceremony and remarks by NCDEQ Secretary Reid Wilson, state, local officials and conservation partners will be part of a brief speaking program and self-guided tour of the site.

The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) this week voted to begin the rulemaking process for a five-fish recreational bag limit for Atlantic Bonito.

Governor Josh Stein and DEQ Secretary Reid Wilson visited Canton to share how recent funding of $3.5 million will ensure access to clean drinking water and make wastewater infrastructure more resilient.

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s (NCDEQ) Division of Coastal Management (DCM), in partnership with the North Carolina Coastal Land Trust, will host a public event to mark the transfer of The Topsail Nature Preserve to state management.  A ribbon cutting ceremony and remarks by NCDEQ Secretary Reid Wilson, state, local officials and conservation partners will be part of a brief speaking program and self-guided tour of the site.

Project STEEL strengthens grid reliability, saves Eastern North Carolinians millions through strategic state and federal investment

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management (DCM) will conduct a spring training workshop May 20-21 in Swansboro for local permit officers in the central and southern regions of its 20 coastal county service area.

North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Reid Wilson joined Division of Coastal Management (DCM) staff, state and local officials, and community partners on May 1 for a visit to the Kitty Hawk Woods Reserve as part of the ongoing Discover the N.C. Coastal Reserve Tour. The event marked the fifth stop in the multi-year Discover the N.C. Coastal Reserve campaign, which highlights the importance of the N.C. Coastal Reserve’s 10 sites and programs and their role in protecting North Carolina’s coastal resources for future generations.

Have questions about the upcoming Red Snapper season? The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries has answers in an FAQ list on its Red Snapper Season webpage.

The N.C. Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve will hold Spring local advisory committee meetings May 11-June 15 for the following reserve sites. All meetings are open to the public. 

Initiative Places Teachers Inside Energy Industries to Strengthen Workforce Connections for Students

With North Carolina’s heat season beginning May 1, the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s State Resilience Office, in partnership with N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, the North Carolina State Climate Office and the National Weather Service will host a virtual Heat Season Kick-Off Meeting on May 11, 2026, from 1 to 3 p.m. The event is open to the public, but targeted to local government staff, particularly emergency managers, public health personnel, planners and administrators.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) Division of Water Resources (DWR) is accepting public comment through Aug. 4 on the draft 2026 basin plan for Cape Fear River Basin, the most populous and largest river basin contained entirely within the state.