Beach nourishment at Indian Beach/Salter Path and at the east end of Emerald Isle wrapped up before the sea turtle nesting season began May 1st. Now, a local contractor is planting 300,000 native grass plants to help stabilize the sand.
"We've been doing the planting for almost a decade before and after [a hurricane], and the results have been really good," said Greg "Rudi" Rudolph, the shore protection manager for Carteret County.
The majority of the funding for the dune restoration projects are paid for by the Carteret County bed tax, in addition to a $5 million state grant and funding from the individual towns receiving the sand. Carteret County is seeking FEMA reimbursement for the projects.
"Bogue Banks is almost 25 miles long. It's almost logistically impossible to do the whole entire island in one funding cycle," said Rudolph.
Carteret County hopes to eventually start dune restoration projects at Pine Knoll Shores, the western Atlantic Beach and the remaining portion of Emerald Isle.
