COASTAL 



TIDINGS 



Coastal Habitat Protection Plan to Debut 



I n the coming months, citizens across North 

 Carolina will see and comment on the state's 

 proposed Coastal Habitat Protection Plan (CHPP). 



The draft document is the result of 

 two years of work by the Intercommission 

 Review Committee (IRC), charged by the 

 N.C. Department of Environment and Natural 

 Resources to devise strategies to protect and 

 restore fish habitats for the long-term enhancement 

 of coastal fisheries. The premise is that healthy 

 habitats are the foundation of healthy fisheries. 



The IRC is composed of members of the 

 Marine Fisheries Commission, the Environmental 

 Commission, and the Coastal Resources 

 Commission. 



The public is urged to 

 attend input meetings that 

 will begin at 7 p.m.: 



• July 13, N.C. 

 Aquarium on Roanoke 

 Island, Manteo; 



• July 14, Town 

 Council Chambers, 500 

 South Broad St., Edenton; 



• July 19, Quality 

 Inn Ballroom, 701 North 

 Marine Blvd. (U.S. 17), 

 Jacksonville; 



• July 21, East Carteret High School 

 Auditorium, 3263 U.S. 70 East, Beaufort; 



• July 22, Craven County Court House, 

 41 1 Craven St., New Bern; 



• July 27, Brunswick County 

 Commission Chambers, Building I, County 

 Government Complex, Bolivia; 



• July 28, New Hanover County 

 Northeast Regional Library, 1241 Military 

 Cutoff Rd., Wilmington; 



• July 29, N.C. Estuarium, 223 East 

 Water St., Washington; 



• Aug. 3, Charles Mack Citizens Center, 

 215 North Main St., Mooresville; and 



• Aug. 4, N.C. Mu- 

 suem of Natural Sciences, 

 11 West Jones St., Raleigh. 



For more 

 information on ways 

 to get involved, call the 

 CHPP office at 252/726- 

 7021 or 800/682-2632. 

 Information is available 

 on the Web at www. 

 ncfisheries.net. Questions 

 and comments may be 

 sent to chpps@ncmail.net. 



-P.S. 



Restoration Projects Abound in Onslow 



Wa, 



/ater quality is a major coastal issue 

 that just keeps growing. Onslow County has 

 initiated two new cleanup projects funded by the 

 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra- 

 tion's (NOAA) Community-based Restoration 

 Program. 



Chaney Creek isjacksonville's largest subba- 

 sin and a priority for cleanup. The restoration pro- 

 posal calls for salt marsh and submerged aquatic 

 vegetation restoration, and the creation of oyster 

 reef. Mussels and clams will filter pollutants. 



The city is applying the concept used in 

 Wilson Bay upstream, says Pat Donovan-Potts, 

 field coordinator for thejacksonville water quality 

 initiative. NOAA is awarding $1 37,493 to the city 

 for the project. 



A similar effort to restore fishery habitat 

 in Stump Sound by the North Carolina Coastal 

 Federation will receive $1 1 4,1 88 from NOAA. 

 North Carolina Sea Grant, the Division of Marine 

 Fisheries and J&B AquaFoods also will offer 

 in-kind contributions to meet the $230,000 total 

 cost of the project. 



Four acres of oyster habitat will be created 

 in Stump Sound, where a salt marsh will be 

 restored. Also, a community outreach program 

 will explain the value of oysters to water quality. 



The Stump Sound and Chaney Creek 

 strategies spouted from a larger water quality 

 initiative in Onlsow County. Turn to page 6 to 

 learn aboutjacksonville's Wilson Bay project 



-LL. 



Sandra Hams and Walter Clark took division honors. 



Sea Grant in the 

 Winners' Circle 



"Two Sea Grant staffers stepped into 

 the winners' circle at recent North Carolina 

 State University Awards for Excellence 

 ceremonies. 



Taking honors for the NC State Divi- 

 sion of Research and Graduate Studies were 

 Sandra Harris, public information assistant, 

 and Walter Clark, coastal communities and 

 policy specialist. Todd Marcks, from the 

 department of graduate studies, also was 

 honored for outstanding service. 



The trio received recognition plaques 

 and checks from John Gilligan, associate 

 provost for Research and Graduate Studies. 

 The division winners advanced to university- 

 wide competition. 



Harris was cited for her contributions 

 to the university throughout her 24 years 

 of service. At Sea Grant, her duties bridge 

 administration and communication and 

 include distribution of Coastwatch, newslet- 

 ters, news releases and dozens of Sea Grant 

 publications. 



Clark, who has been with Sea Grant 

 since 1 984, was praised for being a prolific 

 ambassador for NC State and Sea Grant. 

 He has forged partnerships with universities, 

 state and federal agencies — and nations. 

 He recendy has taken the lead to establish 

 research ties with the North African 

 countries of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. 



His achievements also earned Clark the 

 2004 Outstanding Extension Award from 

 the university. — P.S. 



COASTWATCH 5 



