The Aft Deck 



A Bulletin Board 



of Updates and Events 



Know Your 

 Regulations 



The N.C. Department of Environment, 

 Health and Natural Resources has published 

 a guide to natural resource and environ- 

 mental regulations. The 1991 North 

 Carolina Environmental Permit Directory is 

 a comprehensive introduction to environ- 

 mental regulations and an overview of 

 requirements governing the wise use and 

 protection of the state's natural resources. 



The director/ can be used as a manual, 

 or handbook, to guide businesses through 

 the permit maze or as an educational 

 primer for people interested in environmen- 

 tal protection. 



The directory includes: 



— a list of all state environmental and 

 natural resource laws and their statutory 

 citations; 



— an informative grid that lists the 

 environmental permits required for 40 

 businesses commonly operating in North 

 Carolina; 



— a series of frequently asked ques- 

 tions about permits; 



— a list of permit processing times; and 



— a list of permits by area and by 

 agency. 



Each permit summary includes a 

 description of the type of project requiring 

 this permit, the statutory authority, the 

 administrative code citation, the require- 

 ments, process time, fees and contact 

 information. 



The directory also includes regulatory 

 requirements of other state and federal 

 agencies such as the N.C. Department of 

 Cultural Resources and the U.S. Army Corps 

 of Engineers. 



It costs S5 and is available from: 

 Department of Environment, Health and 

 Natural Resources, Division of Planning and 

 Assessment, P.O. Box 27687, Raleigh, NC 

 27611-7687. 



Critical Coastal 

 Concerns 



The N.C. Division of Coastal Manage- 

 ment needs the public's help in identifying 

 the state's most critical coastal issues. 



The 1990 reauthorization of the federal 

 Coastal Zone Management Act created the 

 Coastal Zone Enhancement Grants 

 Program, which encourages achievement 

 of coastal management goals. But to make 

 the achievement of these goals responsive 

 to public needs, the division needs your 

 input. 



Specifically, the division would like to 

 know how you would rank the following 

 objectives: 



— protect, enhance or create coastal 

 wetlands. 



— prevent or reduce threats to life and 

 property by controlling coastal develop- 

 ment and redevelopment in hazard areas, 

 and anticipate and manage the effects of 

 sea level rise. 



— increase public access. 



— reduce marine debris. 



— assess and manage the cumulative 

 and secondary impacts of coastal growth 

 and development. 



— prepare and implement special area 

 management plans. 



— plan for the use of ocean resources. 



— adopt procedures and policies for 

 siting energy and government facilities and 

 activities. 



In addition to determining critical 

 issues, the Division of Coastal Management 

 is also seeking ideas on how to address 

 these areas of concern. 



With federal guidance and public 

 input, the division will prepare a draft 

 assessment. Public review and comments 

 of the draft document will be accepted 

 through the end of October. 



Public forums to discuss the draft 

 assessment are scheduled for Oct. 15 in 

 Manteo at the N.C. Aquarium from 7 p.m. 

 to 9 p.m., for Oct. 22 in Beaufort at the 

 N.C. Maritime Museum from 7 p.m. to 9 



p.m., and for Oct. 29 in Wilmington at the 

 University of North Carolina at Wilmington 

 (SB Building, Room 108) from 7 p.m. 

 to 9 p.m. 



If you have questions or comments 

 about this procedure, contact Jim 

 Wuenscher, N.C. Division of Coastal 

 Management, P.O. Box 27687, Raleigh, NC 

 27611-7687. Or call 919/733-2293. 



Fall Flora at the Shore 



When the first cool air of fall finally 

 pushes south, most people head westward 

 to the mountains for a dose of seasonal 

 beauty. But the coast also offers some 

 spectacular examples of change. 



Look first at the marshes, says Sea 

 Grant marine education specialist Lundie 

 Spence. Interspersed among the marsh 

 grasses is the delicate sea lavender. Its fall 

 bloom is a tiny purple flower. 



Another plant, the short, segmented 

 glasswort covers the salt barrens. Its finger- 

 like projections turn flame red in fall as the 

 cool breezes cause the plant's green 

 chlorophyll pigment to break down. 



The groundsel tree graces the marsh's 

 upland side, and this time of year, fluffy 

 white hairs bearing tiny fruits reveal the 

 plant's other name — cottonbush. Some 



18 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 1991 



