Press Releases

More than $4.3 million in financial relief is on its way to eligible members of the fishing industries who sustained income losses from March to December of 2020 due to COVID-19. The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries issued funds this week to 265 commercial fishermen and marine aquaculture operations, for-hire fishing operations, and seafood dealers and processors deemed eligible for relief from the federal North Carolina Consolidated Appropriations Act Fisheries Relief Program (CARES Act II). Payments were made in the following categories:

The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission will meet in-person Feb. 23-25 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel New Bern Riverfront, 100 Middle St, New Bern. The meeting also will be livestreamed on YouTube.

The Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality (DAQ) is now accepting applications for DC Fast Charging Infrastructure grants under Phase 2 of the Volkswagen Mitigation plan.  The Request for Proposal (RFP) released today details how to apply for the $4,997,424 available for funding new DC Fast charging sites along identified priority corridors to support zero emission vehicle (ZEV) travel.

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries has certified a new state record speckled trout (Cynoscion nebulosus) that bests a fish that held the title for more than 60 years. Todd Spangler, of Merritt, caught the 12-pound, 8-ounce fish in the lower Neuse River in Pamlico County on Feb 9. The previous state record speckled trout weighed 12 pounds, 4 ounces and was caught off Wrightsville Beach in 1961. The International Game Fish Association All Tackle World Record spotted seatrout stands at 17 pounds, 7 ounces, and was caught in 1995 off Ft. Pierce Fla.

  The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Division of Water Resources has approved a buffer authorization request by Wake Stone Corporation for the proposed construction of a bridge over Crabtree Creek based on a revised application. 

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Secretary’s Environmental Justice and Equity Advisory Board will hold its meeting Monday, February 28, remotely via teleconference. Members of the public are welcome to participate online or by phone. Internet access is not required to attend the meeting.

The Division of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) Division of Water Resources (DWR) is accepting proposals for approximately $1.3 million in federal grant money to address the State’s water bodies most impacted by nonpoint pollution.

The N.C. Sedimentation Control Commission will meet virtually on Tuesday, February 22, 2022., The meeting will begin at 10 a.m., and the public may join the meeting by computer or phone.

The N.C. Coastal Resources Commission (CRC) will meet Feb.10 at the Beaufort Hotel, 2440 Lennoxville Road, Beaufort. A public input and comment period is scheduled for noon. At the chair’s discretion, comments may be limited to three minutes per person. Prior to the commission meeting, the Coastal Resources Advisory Council (CRAC) will meet at 3 p.m. on Feb. 9 at the same location. Both meetings are open to the public. To reduce the spread of COVID-19, all attendees should wear a mask and maintain social distance during the meeting.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s administration plan for the approximately $1.6 billion in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State Fiscal Recovery funds for drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure is now available online.