North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Secretary Reid Wilson announced today eight grants awarded through the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership (APNEP) to support projects that advance environmental stewardship and community engagement across the region. The APNEP Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) awarded $298,963 in funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and DEQ.
“Protecting and restoring the Albemarle-Pamlico estuarine system starts with engaged communities,” said Secretary Wilson. “These grants support local partnerships that inspire stewardship, strengthen community resilience to more frequent and severe natural disasters, and help ensure the long-term protection of the waterways and habitats that sustain our health, economy and quality of life.”
“The participation in this grant cycle has been incredible," said APNEP Director Dr. Bill Crowell. “Community engagement is critical to APNEP’s success. Our Citizen Advisory Committee works to support projects like these that benefit local communities, to support both ecosystem and community resilience. While we only received applications for projects in North Carolina for this round of funding, we hope to see more participation from Virginia in future cycles.”
This year, the partnership received a record 29 submissions with a total request of $1.58 million, illustrating the need for continued engagement and stewardship funding in the estuarine system.
The selected projects align with at least one of APNEP’s priority focus areas of water quality, submerged aquatic vegetation, coastal habitats and community resilience. More information about the funded projects can be found on the APNEP website.
The institutions receiving awards include:
- North Carolina Coastal Federation (Newport, NC) — Planting a Culture of Coastal Stewardship: Native Landscapes and Outdoor Classrooms; $91,600
- Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center (Harkers Island, NC) — Building Coastal Resilience Through Community Knowledge Exchange; $29,700
- The North Carolina Museum of Life and Science (Durham, NC) — Downstream Connections in Albemarle-Pamlico; $25,000
- NC Museum of Natural Sciences (Raleigh, NC) - School of Rockfish, $57,915
- Scouting America East Carolina Council (Kinston, NC) — Camp Boddie Field Science Academy; $36,850
- Mid-East Commission Council of Governments (Washington, NC) — Beaufort County Living Shoreline Academy; $49,178
- East Carolina University (Greenville, NC) — Improving trail signs and understanding of science communication strategies in eastern North Carolina; $4,325
- North Carolina Estuarium (Washington, NC) — "Walking Workshops on the Pamlico" and "Meet and Eat: The Eastern Oyster"; $4,396
The Engagement and Stewardship Grants assist in supporting at least one of the APNEP engagement and stewardship actions listed in the program’s Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP). The CCMP is a long-term plan that contains targeted actions to address a wide range of environmental issues in the Albemarle-Pamlico region. It includes education, engagement and stewardship needs. The CAC serves as a liaison to communities on environmental issues and natural resource management and guides APNEP in community-led engagement activities.
"Fostering collective stewardship in such a large region is an enormous undertaking," said Dr. Kirk Havens, APNEP Leadership Council Chair and Professor at William & Mary's Virginia Institute of Marine Science. "Basin-wide grant opportunities like these are essential to connecting ecosystem health with human health and connecting individuals to the Albemarle-Pamlico ecosystem.”
Hosted by DEQ, APNEP is a partnership between North Carolina and Virginia and is the largest of the National Estuary Program's 28 estuary partnerships, covering 36 counties in North Carolina and 18 cities and counties in Virginia.
APNEP is a collaborative program dedicated to understanding, protecting and restoring the Albemarle-Pamlico estuarine system in North Carolina and Virginia. The Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds were designated as an Estuary of National Significance by Congress in 1987, and APNEP is one of the oldest and largest programs within the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Estuary Program.
To stay up to date with APNEP’s grant opportunities, visit our website or sign up for our quarterly newsletter.