North Carolina announces $300,000 in environmental resilience grants

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership (APNEP) have announced $298,963 in grants to support eight projects focused on environmental stewardship, water quality, and community resilience.

Funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the DEQ, the grants aim to help communities prepare for increasing natural hazards such as heavy rainfall, flooding, droughts, and wildfires. DEQ Secretary Reid Wilson emphasized that protecting natural systems like estuaries is critical to strengthening community safety and infrastructure.

The selected recipients include: • North Carolina Coastal Federation ($91,600) • NC Museum of Natural Sciences ($57,915) • Mid-East Commission Council of Governments ($49,178) • Scouting America East Carolina Council ($36,850) • Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center ($29,700) • North Carolina Museum of Life and Science ($25,000) • North Carolina Estuarium ($4,396) • East Carolina University ($4,325)

This year saw a record number of 29 applications requesting approximately $1.58 million, highlighting a significant demand for community engagement and environmental protection funding in the region.