North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue announced today that two major coastal projects, Oregon Inlet and Wilmington Harbor will receive additional funding for the remainder of this calendar year. Oregon Inlet will receive an additional $2.3 million in this calendar year to maintain dredging operations. The Wilmington Harbor project will receive an additional $13.5 million to improve the Eagle Island dredged material disposal facility. These funds come to North Carolina after Gov. Perdue, joined by Senator Kay Hagan and Rep. Walter Jones appealed to the Corps of Engineers leadership and the White House.

Additional funds for Oregon Inlet will allow the Army Corps to continue dredging the inlet, which was filling with sand earlier in the year and forcing commercial fishing operations to move north. The shoaling threatened to cut off recreational access to the inlet as well. Oregon Inlet is key to the commercial and recreational fishing industries, which contribute tens of millions of dollars in economic impact for the Outer Banks region.

The $13.5 million allocated to the Wilmington Harbor project will be used to improve the Eagle Island dredged management disposal facility including raising the dikes to provide additional storage capacity for maintenance dredging actions adjacent to the Port of Wilmington.  Improving the Eagle Island facility will accommodate additional dredging requirements for the Port, enable continued maintenance of the navigation channel, and will provide significant operational and maintenance cost savings in addition to adding construction jobs.

Gov. Perdue will continue to work closely with the North Carolina Congressional Delegation to identify and advocate for projects along the coast that grow our economy.