Press Releases

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries’ spending plan for federal CARES Act fisheries assistance has been approved by NOAA Fisheries. The state now awaits notification from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission that the $5.4 million has been awarded.

The State Water Infrastructure Authority will meet Thursday, Sept. 17 at 9:00 a.m., remotely, via teleconference.

The North Carolina Division of Coastal Management (DCM) will host a free interactive webinar on the new N.C. Resilient Coastal Communities Program, September 23, 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. The intended audience includes consultants, regional governments, colleges/universities, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that have an interest in receiving and submitting a response to the program’s 2020 Phase 1 and 2 Request for Qualifications.

The State Water Infrastructure Authority will meet Thursday, Sept. 17 at 9:00 a.m., remotely, via teleconference.

Governor Roy Cooper today offered the following comment in response to WesternGeco’s decision to withdraw its permit application for seismic testing Thursday. The withdrawal follows North Carolina’s fight to stop damaging seismic testing at the coast. Press Release

The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission is looking for commercial and recreational fishermen, scientists, and other interested parties to sit on various fisheries advisory committees.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office for Coastal Management will host a virtual public meeting as part of the federal performance evaluation of the North Carolina Coastal Management Program and North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve. The purpose of the meeting is to receive public comment regarding the operation and implementation of the North Carolina Coastal Management Program and North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve. The meeting will be held Wednesday, Oct. 7, 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. The public may participate online or by phone.

N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries license sales through the Department of Environmental Quality’s Wilmington Regional Office will be closed Friday, Sept. 11.

The commercial flounder season opens soon, and the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries is reminding gill net fishermen that one of the conditions for the Estuarine Gill Net Permit (EGNP) is to allow division staff to observe gill net operations.

The Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) Division of Water Resources (DWR) will conduct an online public hearing on October 20, 2020 to discuss the proposed removal of the supplemental Swamp (Sw) classification and a portion of a water quality management plan, for an area of the Cape Fear River located in Brunswick and New Hanover Counties (Cape Fear River Basin).The proposed actions would affect the Cape Fear River from the upstream mouth of Toomers Creek to a line across the river , between Lilliput Creek and Snows Cut, where the Intracoastal Waterway meets the river.