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MOREHEAD CITY – The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management (DCM) is awarding 20 grants to 19 communities for Phases 3 and 4 of the Resilient Coastal Communities Program (RCCP).

The primary objective of Phase 3 of the RCCP is to provide funding to assist communities with the engineering and design of prioritized projects identified in their RCCP Resilience Strategy or other existing plans that meet the RCCP’s Phases 1 and 2 planning criteria. Additionally, some communities will receive funds to develop or amend ordinances to enhance their resilience to coastal hazards. A total of $4,310,350 will be available to complete 15 projects in Phase 3. Most of these engineering and design projects incorporate natural and nature-based elements, such as wetland restoration and living shoreline design. Specific projects include living shoreline construction to reduce erosion along public shorelines, updating development ordinances to align with resilience strategies, and comprehensive stormwater action plans with detailed drainage studies and easement acquisitions.

Phase 4 of the RCCP aims to fund the implementation of projects previously awarded funding for Phases 1-3. These shovel-ready projects consist of strategic initiatives to enhance coastal resilience. A total of $1,900,951 will be available to complete 5 projects in Phase 4. These projects feature a range of nature-based solutions, infrastructure improvements, and community-focused strategies to manage stormwater and mitigate flooding. Specific projects include the construction of bioswales to store and filter stormwater runoff and ocean overwash, creating low-impact development demonstration sites with educational components for the public, stabilizing road shoulders with environmentally friendly materials that promote natural vegetative growth, and improving flood-prone roadways with permeable pavers and bioretention basins.

“Funding the valuable resilience work of these communities allows them move their projects from concept to completion, building a stronger future by protecting residents and the coastal economy”, said Secretary Elizabeth S. Biser.

One county and fourteen municipalities will receive engineering and design funds for the completion of Phase 3 of the RCCP:

1. Ahoskie: Stormwater Action Plan-Upgrade the Stormwater System – $500,000
2. Aulander: Permeable Pavement and Green Stormwater Infrastructure Implementation Projects – $173,250
3. Beaufort: Development Ordinance Resilience Updates – $100,000
4. Belhaven: Stormwater Action Plan and Easement Acquisition Plan – Upgrade the Stormwater System – $500,000
5. Burgaw: Rain Garden Installation and Educational Demonstration – $55,000
6. Creswell: Reduce Flooding Impacts in the 1st-4th Street Area – $500,000
7. Dare County: Salvo Flood Mitigation Project – $234,000
8. Elizabeth City: Resilient Stormwater Ordinance Project – $140,000
9. Holly Ridge: Multi-Use Greenway Connection Feasibility Study – $143,000
10. Nags Head: Designing Living Shorelines to Restore and Protect Coastal Community Infrastructure in the Roanoke Sound – $500,000
11. Ocean Isle Beach: Living Shoreline Feasibility Study and Demonstration Project – $170,000
12. Plymouth: Stormwater Action Plan-Upgrade the Stormwater System – $500,000
13. Vandemere: Vandemere Waterfront Park Living Shoreline – $57,800
14. Washington: Living Shoreline and Levee at the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) – $500,000
15. Washington Park: Living Shoreline at Public Shoreline Areas – $237,300

Two counties and three municipalities will receive implementation funds for the completion of Phase 4:

1. Aurora: Wetland Restoration and Berm Improvements at Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) – $1,071,250.00
2. Beaufort County: Low Impact Development Demonstration Site- Beaufort County Community College – $194,166
3. Dare County: Hatteras Village Bioswales – $160,000
4. Duck: Teresa Court Stormwater Management Improvements – $144,000
5. Surf City: Roadside Infiltration Resilience Project – $331,535.00

Community applications were reviewed based on the following criteria: project alignment with the community Resilience Strategy and priority ranking; project outcomes including environmental, social, and economic impacts; the project’s ability to reduce the vulnerability of a critical asset or population; the project’s inclusion of nature-based or hybrid components; and the project’s ability to achieve the community’s vision and goals.

The RCCP receives funding from a combination of state and federal sources.

For more information about the Resilient Coastal Communities program, go to the DCM RCCP website.

NC DEQ Division of Coastal Management

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management (DCM) works to protect, conserve and manage the state’s coastal resources through an integrated program of planning, permitting, education and research. DCM carries out the state’s Coastal Area Management Act, the Dredge and Fill Law and the federal Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 in the 20 coastal counties, using rules and policies of the NC Coastal Resources Commission, known as the CRC. The division serves as staff to the CRC. Click here to learn more about the Division of Coastal Management.