Press Releases

Dry conditions are widespread in North Carolina, according to the latest update from the North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council released on Thursday.

Chris Lee was formally pinned during a ceremony today as the new Colonel of the N.C. Marine Patrol, the top law enforcement officer at the Division of Marine Fisheries.

The North Carolina Environmental Management Commission will meet Jan. 7-8 in the Ground Floor Hearing Room of the Archdale Building in Raleigh. Members of the public may attend in-person or join the meeting by computer or phone. 

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management (DCM) has been granted additional time by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to complete its review of a federal request to deepen and widen the Wilmington Harbor, extending the decision deadline from Jan. 5, 2026, to Jan. 19, 2026.

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management is providing guidance to property owners, organizations and towns that plan to accept natural Christmas trees for use in dune restoration.

The North Carolina Environmental Management Commission will meet Jan. 7-8 in the Ground Floor Hearing Room of the Archdale Building in Raleigh. Members of the public may attend in-person or join the meeting by computer or phone. 

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Division of Water Resources (DWR) has issued a water quality certification with conditions to strengthen protections for wetlands, waterways and streambanks impacted by Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Co. LLC’s (Transco’s) proposed expansion of a natural gas pipeline.

The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission Commercial Resource Fund Committee and the Funding Committee for the N.C. Commercial Fishing Resource Fund will meet jointly on Jan. 14, 2026, at 3 p.m. via WebEx.

As part of a department-wide effort to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, contamination in North Carolina, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) has negotiated a special order by consent (SOC) with Sampson County Disposal LLC to phase in treatment and removal of PFAS from groundwater. 

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries has extended the mechanical oyster harvest season in portions of Pamlico Sound as the result of adaptive management measures that included collaboration with stakeholders.