NORTH CAROLINA'S BELOVED SUGARLOAF ISLAND TO BE RESTORED THANKS TO LEGISLATIVE SUPPORT

Project aims to help Morehead City better weather severe storms

WINTER GARDEN, Fla., OCEAN, N.C. and MOREHEAD CITY, N.C., Dec. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sugarloaf Island, a small island off downtown Morehead City, NC serves as a protective barrier for the town. Yet with every passing storm, Sugarloaf's banks have rapidly eroded, causing grave concern over the island's ability to shield Morehead City from severe storm damage and flooding.

Thanks to the support of North Carolina Senator Norman Sanderson and State Representative Pat McElraft, shielding downtown Morehead City will be well-looked-after. They both helped to champion $2 million in legislative funding allowing a team of experts to identify and design the best shoreline stabilization methods for the island, balancing shoreline protection, public uses, and natural resource conservation.

In July, a partnership was announced between aquatic restoration specialists Sea & Shoreline, the North Carolina Coastal Federation, The Town of Morehead City, NC, and Quible & Associates to design a plan to restore and protect the island.

The project will include wave attenuation devices (WADs®) to reduce erosion and help rebuild the shoreline, seagrass plantings to improve water quality, and a living shoreline to stabilize beach areas.

The many benefits of this project include:

• Reducing erosion allowing shorelines to reestablish
• Enhancing the coastal resilience of Morehead City
• Increasing fish habitat and fishing opportunities
• Increasing ecotourism opportunities
• Enhancing seagrass and water quality
• Preventing tree loss
• Stopping shorebird habitat loss
• Increasing carbon sequestration

According to Morehead City Mayor Jerry Jones, "Protecting and restoring our island has been a priority for this town for years and now, thanks to the State Legislature, we finally have the funding to make it happen. We're looking forward to working closely with the professionals from Sea & Shoreline, the North Carolina Coastal Federation, and Quible & Associates to see this project come to fruition."

As the town has not yet secured all funding required to fully complete the project, progress will be made incrementally with the first phase of the restoration estimated at $2M. The project is currently being permitted and construction is expected to start next year.

Sea & Shoreline, LLC is a Florida-based aquatic restoration firm that restores fresh and saltwater habitats to healthy and self-sustaining ecosystems. Services include seagrass restorations, oyster, coral and artificial reefs, dredging, living shorelines, vegetated retaining walls, shoreline stabilizations, and wave attenuation. For more information, please visit seaandshoreline.com, or follow us on social media  LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

The North Carolina Coastal Federation is a member-supported 501(c)3 that focuses on protecting and restoring the North Carolina coast. Since 1982, the Federation has been in the field restoring miles of coastline; training and educating students, adults, and communities to take actions that result in cleaner coastal waters and advocating for an accessible, healthy, productive coast. Created to give a united voice to the need for long-term coastal management, the Federation remains a collaborative, grassroots organization at its heart and brings together traditional and nontraditional organizations, government agencies and businesses in order to achieve what is best for the North Carolina coast and to leave a legacy of clean water for future generations. The Federation has 16,000 supporters and reaches almost 300,000 people directly each year. For more information, please visit nccoast.org, or follow us on social media LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.

Morehead City is dedicated to the well-being and safety of our community through exceptional service with a warm coastal smile. Please visit our website www.moreheadcitync.org for more information and follow us on our social media accounts: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

SOURCE Sea & Shoreline, LLC