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State pauses Cherry Point river-training review as October 15 comment deadline nears

North Carolina has paused review of proposed Marine Corps range changes while awaiting details about a 500-foot buffer and intermittent Neuse River closures. Comments remain due October 15.

MOREHEAD CITY – North Carolina coastal regulators have paused their federal consistency review of proposed changes to Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point’s range operations, with key questions about access to portions of the Neuse River still unresolved.

According to the Division of Coastal Management, Cherry Point requested the pause October 2 so the installation could finalize additional materials. The state specifically identified the justification for a proposed 500-foot buffer and the timing and duration of intermittent closures between Bombing Targets 9 and 11 as matters requiring more information.

A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service file photograph of the Neuse River in North Carolina. It does not depict a new military exercise or a current closure.

The review concerns proposed operations in Carteret and Pamlico counties. A proposal and a review pause are not an approved river closure. The state has not yet determined whether the project is consistent with the enforceable policies of North Carolina’s coastal management program.

At a September 29 public hearing in Morehead City, seven members of the public attended and six offered comments, according to the agency. Written comments will continue to be accepted through October 15, even while the technical review is paused.

The Division says it expects to seek further feedback from stakeholders and state resource agencies after receiving the supplemental materials, particularly regarding closure timing and duration. It has not yet identified the date on which that additional consultation will occur.

Comments may be sent to federalconsistencycomments@deq.nc.gov with the subject ‘Federal Consistency: USMC MCAS Cherry Point.’ Boaters and riverside residents should distinguish proposed operational restrictions from current navigation notices until the review advances.

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