Press Releases

All coastal waters in North Carolina will temporarily close to shellfish harvest at sunrise Thursday. The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries is temporarily closing state shellfish waters due to the impending impacts of Hurricane Dorian.

The sites of the North Carolina Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve will close to visitors at dusk today until further notice due to the threat of damage from Hurricane Dorian and to protect public safety from the potential risk of downed trees, flooding and other hazards.

State recreational water quality officials are advising the public to avoid swimming in all coastal waters of North Carolina following Hurricane Dorian. Residents and visitors should avoid swimming in all coastal waters until testing indicates bacteria levels meet state and federal standards.

State officials will host a public hearing September 5 in Cashiers to gather comments on a water quality certification for Cashiers Canoe Club Development, LLC.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality is accepting public comment through September 18 on the draft Public Participation Plan and draft Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Plan.

North Carolina’s Clean Energy Plan lays out a path for the state to become a leader in clean energy innovation, with goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, create economic opportunities and foster affordability. After a robust, statewide stakeholder process, the draft of the plan is now available for public comment.   

One of the goals at Camp Lejeune’s Gottschalk Marina is to always do its best.

The 64-slip marina at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune exclusively serves those connected with the military.

“These men and women go out every day and do their best for us, and I figure the least we can do is do the best for them and their families while we help protect the environment,” said Marina Manager Sammy Landrum.

In keeping with this motto, Gottschalk Marina has set the bar for other marinas by becoming the first Department of Defense facility in North Carolina to receive certification as a Clean Marina.

The N.C. Oil and Gas Commission will meet Tuesday August 13, 2019, in the Ground Floor Hearing Room of the Archdale Building in downtown Raleigh.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Secretary’s Environmental Justice and Equity Advisory Board will hold its fifth meeting in Cherokee on August 21. Topics for the August 21 meeting include updates on the department’s public participation plan, N.C. Community Mapping System and Executive Order 80. The board will also hear presentations from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Public Health and Human Services Secretary and Tribal Employment Rights Office staff.

The N.C. Sedimentation Control Commission will meet Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2019, in the Ground Floor Hearing Room of the Archdale Building in downtown Raleigh.