Pew Offers Input on Priorities for North Carolina's Coastal Zone Management Program

The Pew Charitable Trusts submitted comments April 24 to North Carolina’s Division of Coastal Management on the draft assessment and strategy of the state’s Coastal Management Program for 2021-25. Pew expressed support for the state’s identification of aquaculture and coastal hazards—including new strategies related to technical assistance and funding for community natural disaster resilience planning—as priority needs and opportunities for improvement. In addition, Pew recommended protection and restoration of coastal habitats such as salt marsh and seagrass, which act as fish nursery areas and provide natural defenses against storms and other hazards. The updated strategy will allow North Carolina to receive, under the Coastal Zone Management Act, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration funding to support these priority efforts.