The North Carolina Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve has scheduled its fall local advisory committee meetings between November 5 and November 18. The meetings will address the management and activities of several reserve sites across the state and are open to the public.
Meetings will take place at the following locations: Buxton Woods Reserve on November 5 at 1:00 p.m. at the Fessenden Center in Buxton; Bird Island Reserve on November 6 at 1:00 p.m., which will be held virtually and can be accessed via Webex; Rachel Carson Reserve on November 6 at 3:00 p.m. at the NOAA Beaufort Laboratory; Zeke’s Island Reserve on November 7 at 10:00 a.m. at the Fort Fisher Recreation Area; Bald Head Woods Reserve on November 12 at 1:00 p.m. at the Bald Head Island Conservancy; Kitty Hawk Woods Reserve on November 12 at 1:00 p.m. at the Kitty Hawk Town Hall; Currituck Banks Reserve on November 13 at 1:00 p.m. at the Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education; Masonboro Island Reserve on November 14 at 11:00 a.m. at the UNCW Center for Marine Science; Permuda Island Reserve on November 14 at 10:00 a.m. at the Town of North Topsail Beach Town Hall; and Emily & Richardson Preyer Buckridge Reserve on November 18 at 10:00 a.m. at the Pocosin Lakes NWR Main Office.
Local advisory committees are composed of residents and representatives from community organizations, government agencies, and non-governmental partner organizations. According to the announcement, these committees “provide the Division of Coastal Management’s Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve staff with guidance and feedback regarding program activities and management of the reserve sites.”
The North Carolina Division of Coastal Management is part of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. The division is responsible for protecting, conserving, and managing coastal resources across the state’s 20 coastal counties. The Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve Program focuses on preserving natural areas for education, research, and traditional uses. Since its establishment in 1989, the program has protected more than 44,000 acres across ten sites along the North Carolina coast.
