Press Releases

Today, North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Secretary Reid Wilson and the DEQ Division of Mitigation Services (DMS) held a groundbreaking of the Stoney Creek Watershed Flood Mitigation Pilot Project to address chronic flooding impacting businesses, roadways and access to emergency services in Wayne County and Goldsboro. 

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries will accept public comment on draft Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan Amendment 4 from April 1 to April 30. Draft Amendment 4 would expedite the sector allocation shift to 50/50 (commercial/recreational) by one year to 2025.

The North Carolina Mining Commission will meet at 1 p.m. on April 8, 2025, in Raleigh. The public is invited to attend in person or online.

The North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council expanded the moderate drought classification to include 70 counties in the latest advisory released Thursday.

Smoke from South Carolina wildfires has the potential to create very unhealthy air quality in Transylvania and Henderson Counties on Friday, and other nearby counties, including Buncombe County, may also experience unhealthy air quality from smoke. Residents are urged to take precautions.The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality (DAQ) is forecasting the following Air Quality Action Days for Friday:

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s (NCDEQ) Division of Coastal Management (DCM) will hold a public hearing on April 16 from 5-7 p.m. at the Currituck Extension Center located at 120 Community Way, Barco, to hear public comment on North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and North Carolina Turnpike Authority’s (NCTA) Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA) application for the proposed Mid-Currituck Bridge project.

Smoke from South Carolina wildfires has the potential to create very unhealthy air quality in Transylvania County on Thursday, and other nearby counties may also experience unhealthy air quality from smoke. Residents are urged to take precautions.The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality (DAQ) is issuing the following Air Quality Action Day forecasts:

Changes to 18 Marine Fisheries Commission rules became effective today. Among the changes, five of the rules pertain to data collection and harassment prevention for the conservation of marine and estuarine resources, and one rule makes the administration of shellfish leases more efficient. Changes to the remaining rules removed outdated requirements and make minor conforming and clarifying changes.

Smoke from wildfires in Polk County and South Carolina will continue to produce unhealthy air quality and the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality (DAQ) is expanding air quality alerts in western North Carolina.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) Flood Resiliency Blueprint (Blueprint) within the Division of Mitigation Services (DMS) released the report, More Resilient by Design: North Carolina’s Flood Resiliency Blueprint.