Press Releases

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries Standard Commercial Fishing License Eligibility Board will meet by teleconference at 10:30 a.m. on April 17. The board will consider license applications that are deemed complete and submitted by March 28.

DWR will hold a public hearing on Feb. 27 at the Currituck County Center to hear public comment on North Carolina Department of Transportation and North Carolina Turnpike Authority’s 401 water quality certification application for the proposed Mid-Currituck Bridge project.

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management (DCM) is announcing the availability of approximately $2 million in funding to help local governments in 20 coastal counties improve public access to coastal beaches and waters for the 2025-26 fiscal year.

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries will hold an in-person workshop January 27 with the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan Advisory Committee to review draft Amendment 4 to the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan.

The Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries has rescheduled three Observer Trip Scheduling System (OTSS) training sessions that were cancelled due to inclement weather.

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries will close coastal and joint waters in North Carolina to both commercial and recreational spotted seatrout harvest effective at 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24 due to widespread cold stun events.

Due to the forecasted inclement weather, the Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries has cancelled the three Observer Trip Scheduling System training sessions that were slated for this week. The meetings will be rescheduled and the dates and times announced later.

North Carolina’s Drought Management Advisory Council (DMAC) has classified 11 counties in eastern North Carolina as experiencing severe drought conditions, also known as D2, in the latest drought advisory issued Thursday.

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries wants to remind the public to report any cold stunned spotted seatrout they may see in North Carolina coastal waters.