RALEIGH, N.C. (Aug. 19, 2010) – The Labor Day weekend is the last hurrah for summer and one of the busiest times on waterways in North Carolina. To make it a safe holiday, wildlife officers with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission are urging everyone to “boat safe, boat sober.” Throughout the Labor Day holiday, wildlife officers will be on patrol across the state to enforce boating regulations and conduct vessel safety inspections, in an effort to help minimize the risk of accidents. “We will concentrate on getting the impaired boat operator off the water,” said Capt. Chris Huebner, the state boating safety coordinator. “Alcohol is a factor in over 20 percent of boating fatalities.” Operating a recreational vessel while under the influence of an impairing substance or with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher is against the law. The maximum penalty is $1,000 fine and possible jail. In additi

BATH, N.C. (Aug. 10, 2010) – The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission kicked off work on a Beaufort County Boating Access Area during a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday morning, Aug 5. The 6-acre site was donated by PotashCorp-Aurora. When complete, the Boating Access Area will have two boat-launch lanes and 30 parking spaces. “We are grateful to PCS Phosphate for this generous donation,” said Erik Christofferson, chief of the Commission’s Division of Engineering Services. “When we receive a donation like this, it allows our operational funds for boating access to go further in providing the public with more opportunities for recreation on North Carolina’s waters.” The groundbreaking was attended by personnel from Potash Corp-Aurora, along with Gordon Myers, executive director of the Commission, Commissioner Mitch St. Clair and North Carolina Rep. Arthur Williams. “On behalf of PotashCorp-Aurora,

PITTSBORO, N.C. (July 7, 2010) – The Wildlife Commissioners of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission voted today to change the location for its District 5 public hearing on Sept. 8. The annual public hearing will be held in the auditorium of Central Carolina Community College, 764 West Street, Pittsboro. Previously, the District 5 hearings had been held in the second floor courtroom in the Civil Courts Building, Graham. District 5 includes Rockingham, Guilford, Randolph, Caswell, Alamance, Chatham, Lee, Person, Orange, Granville and Durham counties A series of nine public hearings across the state solicits comments on proposed changes to hunting, fishing and trapping regulations. All hearings begin at 7 p.m. After the hearings and a review of all comments, the Wildlife Commissioners then vote whether or not to adopt the proposed rules. This year’s hearings are also the first to be held in September since the Commission adjusted its rulemaking cycle.&n

RALEIGH, N.C. (July 7, 2010) – In action today, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission unanimously endorsed a letter from Chairman Steve Windham to the Mountain Island Lake Marine Commission strongly opposing a lake management plan that would sharply limit boats and boater access. Mountain Island Lake Marine Commission proposes a ban of boats longer than 22 feet and pontoon boats longer than 26 feet. Boaters also would have to purchase either an annual or one-day permit to access the lake. “This proposal raises profound concerns about the ability of citizens to utilize a public trust resource,” said Gordon Myers, executive director of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. “Consider that public trust rights are for the use and benefit of the people – and include the right to navigate, swim, hunt, fish and enjoy all recreational activities in the watercourses of North Carolina. The waters of the Catawba River, of which Mountain I

RALEIGH, N.C. (June 30, 2010) – Renovations to the Sunset Harbor Public Boating Access Area have been completed, and the popular Brunswick County site is set to re-open to the public at noon on Friday, July 2.   The revamped N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission facility, located at 356 Riverview Drive, off Lockwood Folly Road, features a fishing pier, new boat ramps and fixed and floating docks. The improved parking lot also has expanded with more spaces. The Waterfront Access and Marine Industry Fund, administered by the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, paid for additional property to expand the facility, which was the majority of the cost of this project, and some renovations. Vessel registration receipts funded the remainder of the renovations. The N.C. General Assembly approved the $20 million Waterfront Access and Marine Industry Fund in 2007 as a way to pay for acquiring waterfront properties or developing facilities to provide or improve wat