North Carolina Commission Closes on Purchase of Coastal Boating Area Sites

RALEIGH, N.C. (April 20) - The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has purchased two coastal sites for Boating Access Areas, thanks to grant money from the Waterfront Access Marine Industry Fund.

The Sneads Ferry site, at 302 Fulcher Landing Loop in Sneads Ferry, has an existing ramp that has been opened to the public. It will be renovated to include new docks, ramps, and parking lot.

Design of the Hampstead site - off Route 17 in Pender County - has begun and should be completed in 18 months. The site, when completed, will include new docks, three new launch lanes, a parking lot and bulkhead.

"The funding for these sites, made possible through the leadership of the General Assembly, is allowing us to acquire and protect waterfront land for public use," said Erik Christofferson, head of the Commission's Division of Engineering Services. "As a result, boaters in North Carolina will have greater access to the state's waters in the coastal region."

The N.C. General Assembly approved the $20 million WAMI Fund in 2007 as a way to pay for acquiring waterfront properties or developing facilities to provide or improve waterfront access for the public and marine industry. The WAMI Fund is administered by the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, and the Wildlife Resources Commission worked closely with the Marine Fisheries Division on several waterfront access projects.

For more information on boating in NC, including an interactive map of the Commission's more than 200 public boating access areas, visit www.ncwildlife.org.