N.C. refuges and parks will get $12.3 million in Hurricane Sandy relief    

North Carolina will receive another $12.3 million in federal funding to repair and rebuild parks, refuges, and waterways damaged by Hurricane Sandy, U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan, D-N.C., said this week.

The funding was secured through the Hurricane Sandy Supplemental Appropriations Bill, which Hagan fought to pass earlier this year.

The funds announced this week are in addition to the $17.6 million the state received in April to repair inlets and waterways.
 
“Our parks, refuges and beaches are critical to North Carolina’s coastal economy,” said Hagan. “This funding will ensure that these areas are repaired, rebuilt and open to the thousands of residents and visitors who visit each year and fuel our tourism economy. I fought for passage of the Hurricane Sandy Relief bill so our communities would receive the funding needed to fully recover, and I’m pleased that this announcement brings us one step closer to ensuring they come back as vibrant as ever.”
 
The funding is awarded through the U.S. Department of the Interior.

The $12.3 million allocated to North Carolina will fund projects through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, including projects to repair and restore refuges and hatcheries and clear trash and hazardous materials, as well as National Park Service projects to repair and restore parks facilities.
 
North Carolina parks, refuges, and public lands receiving funding are below:
 
Fish and Wildlife Service Projects

MacKay Island National Wildlife Refuge – $1.79 million

Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge – $3 million

Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge – $1.2 million

Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge – $79,000

 
National Park Service Construction Projects

Cape Hatteras National Seashore – $2.9 million

Cape Lookout National Seashore – $3.3 million

 
North Carolina will also benefit from $9.7 million awarded through the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) for mitigation needs related to Hurricane Sandy. North Carolina is one of seven of states that have an urgent need for sand resources to restore coastline, conduct restoration projects, and provide for future resiliency.