MOREHEAD CITY â A local sea turtle expert said last week heâs concerned about a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers proposal that the state eliminate the âwindowâ in which channel maintenance by hopper dredge is allowed at the ports of Morehead City and Wilmington.
The federal agency says the move would increase the availability of dredge boats and ensure the work can occur year-round, on a timely basis. The proposal would remove the Dec. 1 to April 15 environmental dredging window.
âEliminating the seasonal restrictions on dredging and increasing the lethal take limits â¦would not be well-alignedâ with the longstanding U.S. policy to protect threatened and endangered sea turtles, Dr. Craig Harms, a doctor of veterinary medicine at N.C. State University College of Veterinary Medicine and the N.C. State Center for Marine Sciences and Technology in Morehead City, said in an email last week.