Press Releases

The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) wants to look at ways to allow more recreational access to flounder fishing in the future.At its business meeting last week, the MFC asked the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) Director to seek permission from the Department of Environmental Quality Secretary to move up the schedule to review the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan beginning this year. The intent is to allow for more recreational access while maintaining the rebuilding requirements of Amendment 3 to the plan.

The N.C. Coastal Resources Commission (CRC) will meet Aug. 27 and 28 at the Beaufort Hotel, 2440 Lennoxville Road, Beaufort. The regular business meeting of the CRC will be called to order at 3 p.m. on Aug. 27 and will resume at 9 a.m. on Aug. 28. An in-person public comment period is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. on Aug. 27. At the chair’s discretion, comments may be limited to 3 minutes per person. The public may attend the CRC meeting in-person or watch online. The Coastal Resources Advisory Council will meet in-person only Aug. 27, at 1 p.m. at the same location.

MOREHEAD CITY – State recreational water quality officials today lifted a precautionary advisory warning the public against swimming near two areas along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore in Rodanthe and Buxton.

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) Division of Coastal Management (DCM) and the National Park Service’s Cape Hatteras National Seashore (NPS CHNS) today released the report, Managing Threatened Oceanfront Structures: Ideas from an Interagency Work Group. This report is the result of a year-long collaboration between local governments and state and federal agencies via virtual meetings and public workshops. DEQ will use the report to guide next steps, as the state works to address threatened oceanfront structures.

MOREHEAD CITY – State recreational water quality officials have now lifted the precautionary against swimming issued due to Tropical Storm Debby for all but eight locations.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Division of Water Resources (DWR) advises the public to avoid contact with green or blue water in parts of the Chowan River in Chowan and Bertie counties due to an algal bloom that has lingered in the area since Aug. 16. The bloom has been observed from near the community of Rockyhock to below the U.S. 17 bridge over the Chowan River near Edenton.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality (DAQ) has issued a Title V air quality permit to Terra-Mulch Products, LLC in Catawba County.Terra-Mulch produces mulch and other agricultural products by processing wood fibers in natural gas-fired dryers and baggers at its facility at 219 Simpson St., Conover. This process emits volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particulate matter, and various hazardous air pollutants.

As North Carolina’s state saltwater fish, the Red Drum is not only a popular target for anglers but also a species of significant economic importance. While annual data supports these claims, several key questions remain unanswered: Where do Red Drum spawn? How far do they travel? How often do they pass through the ocean inlets, and do they head north to Virginia or make their way beyond South Carolina?

The comment period for review of a federal consistency submission from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Office of Protected Resources proposing amendments to the North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Strike Reduction Rule (“speed rule”) ends Aug. 31. The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management will accept written comments on the proposal until 5 p.m.

RALEIGH – The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality (DAQ) invites residents to hear updates on fine particulate matter air pollution in North Carolina.The webinar is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 19. A recording will be posted to the Division’s website. Live Spanish interpretation will be available during the webinar.