State plans public meetings on beach and inlet management plan update

State officials will hold four meetings in September to gather public input on the North Carolina Beach and Inlet Management Plan.

Initially developed by the state environmental agency in 2011, the Beach and Inlet Management Plan aims to preserve and enhance the value of coastal resources through the development of a management strategy for North Carolina’s 326 miles of oceanfront beaches and active tidal inlets.

The plan divides the coastal area into five regions and four sub-regions. A map of the regions and current plan are available online at https://deq.nc.gov/node/11804.

Information obtained at the public meetings will assist state officials in their effort to update the management plan. Meeting topics will include the collection of beach nourishment and maintenance dredging data, future projections for beach nourishment and maintenance dredging, economic impacts of the state’s beaches and inlets, and potential funding options.

Public meetings are planned for the following dates and locations:

The updated Beach and Inlet Management Plan is expected to be released at the end of the year.