The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management (DCM) has announced that it expects to make about $1.5 million available for the 2026-27 fiscal year to assist local governments in improving public access to coastal beaches and waters. The funding is part of the Public Beach and Coastal Waterfront Access program, which provides matching funds for constructing public access facilities across the state’s 20 coastal counties.
“Expanding and improving public access to coastal shorelines continues to be a priority for our program and communities across the coast, so we’re looking forward to supporting additional proposals this year,” said Tancred Miller, director of the N.C. Division of Coastal Management.
Local governments interested in applying must submit a pre-application by 5 p.m. on April 24, 2026. Selected applicants will be notified by May 21, enabling them to submit final applications by July 31, 2026. All applicants will receive notification regarding their project status in fall 2026.
An online workshop about the grant application process is scheduled for Wednesday, February 18, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., where attendees can learn about eligible projects and requirements. Registration details are available at https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/sz6e22v/lp/d77e23ea-ba2f-4ffc-8d26-2fb2ccd5ee72.
Funding for these grants comes from the North Carolina General Assembly through the state’s Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, depending on allocations in the state budget. Projects may include walkways, dune crossovers, restrooms, parking areas, piers, land acquisition or urban waterfront revitalization efforts. The DCM selects recipients based on criteria set by the N.C. Coastal Resources Commission.
Since its inception in 1981, this program has awarded over 500 grants totaling more than $54 million.
The Department of Environmental Quality serves as a state agency focused on regulating and protecting North Carolina’s natural resources and environmental quality (https://www.deq.nc.gov/). It oversees air quality regulation, permit issuance, environmental law enforcement, waste management, water resource oversight and supports community awareness initiatives (https://www.deq.nc.gov/). The agency aims to deliver science-based stewardship that promotes health and prosperity throughout North Carolina (https://www.deq.nc.gov/), with regulatory authority covering air, land, water and coastal environments (https://www.deq.nc.gov/). Its central office is located at 217 West Jones Street in Raleigh (https://www.deq.nc.gov/).
For further information about the Public Beach and Coastal Waterfront Access program or grant application process visit the DEQ website.
