Topics Related to NCDENR

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries reminds commercial fishermen and the public that rotational harvest cultch sites in the Pamlico Sound remain open to mechanical oyster harvest, although the season has now closed in all other mechanical oyster harvest management areas.

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Energy, Mineral, and Land Resources (DEMLR) is awarding more than $7.3 million to support repairs for several high-hazard dams that were damaged during Hurricane Helene.

According to the N.C. Drought Management Advisory Council’s (DMAC) latest classifications issued Thursday, 72 counties in the state are in severe drought, 24 counties are in moderate drought and one county is abnormally dry. Parts of three counties are in extreme drought: Cabarrus, Stanly and Union counties.

The Division of Water Infrastructure will conduct its Spring 2026 Funding Application Training Feb. 23 - March 4 at three locations statewide, including a March 4 virtual option that will be recorded and posted on the Division’s website.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency allocated a combined $686 million to North Carolina for Hurricane Helene-related drinking water, wastewater and septic system projects, with a focus on resiliency and a goal of reducing risk and vulnerability in systems as they face future storms.

The State Water Infrastructure Authority will meet in person in Raleigh and via teleconference (Webex) on Wednesday, Feb. 18, from 9 am – 4:15 pm. The public may listen to the meeting online or by phone.

In a recent decision, the Wake County Superior Court has upheld the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s authority to set wastewater permit limits for 1,4-dioxane, a chemical that has been classified as a likely human carcinogen.

The Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management (DCM) has issued a permit to Dare County for a beach nourishment project that is planned for this summer at the Village of Buxton. DCM also issued a letter to the county affirming that the proposed work to rebuild one of three groins near the former site of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse qualifies as “repair” under the Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA) and the Coastal Resources Commission’s (CRC) rules and does not therefore require a CAMA permit for the project to proceed.

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries Standard Commercial Fishing License Eligibility Board will meet at 10:30 a.m. on April 15 by teleconference. The board will consider license applications that are deemed complete and submitted by April 1.

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management (DCM) anticipates that approximately $1.5 million in funding will be available for the 2026-27 fiscal year to help local governments improve public access to coastal beaches and waters. The Public Beach and Coastal Waterfront Access program provides matching funds to local governments to construct public access facilities in the state’s 20 coastal counties.