The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries announced on Mar. 16 that it will hold a public hearing regarding proposed shellfish bottom and water column leases in Pamlico County at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. The hearing will take place both in person at the Pamlico County Courthouse in Bayboro and online via Webex.
The hearing concerns an application from Evan R. Gadow for a 0.72-acre Shellfish Bottom lease and Water Column lease (Nos. 25-018BL / 25-019WC) located in Little Bear Creek. The area under consideration will be marked at each corner to indicate its status as a proposed shellfish bottom and water column lease with the corresponding numbers.
Members of the public are invited to comment on the proposal either by attending the hearing in person or participating online through Webex. Those wishing to speak via Webex are asked to pre-register at deq.nc.gov/pamlico-county-shellfish-lease-hearing-speaker-registration, while individuals who prefer to comment in person should register between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the meeting location on the day of the event.
Additional information about the public hearing—including access details for the web conference, call-in phone number, presentation slides, and biological investigation reports—is available at deq.nc.gov/2026-03-24-pamlico-county-shellfish-lease-hearing.
Written comments will also be accepted up to 24 hours after the hearing concludes. Comments can be submitted online through a form at deq.nc.gov/pamlico-county-shellfish-lease-hearing-comment-form or mailed to NC Division of Marine Fisheries, Shellfish Lease and Aquaculture Program, PO Box 769, Morehead City, NC 28557.
For further information about the proposed lease or participation options, interested parties may contact the Shellfish Lease and Aquaculture Program by phone at 252-515-5600 or by email at SLAP@deq.nc.gov.
