October 9, 2026 — Commercial and recreational fishermen are objecting to a proposed expansion of Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point’s military training and operations in public trust waters. Some voiced strong opposition during an in-person public hearing Sept. 29, hosted by the North Carolina Division of Coastal Management (DCM) at NC State University’s Center for Marine Sciences and Technology.
The six in-person comments opposing the measures — which are the only comments made available to the News-Times — are among more than 30 that have been submitted to the state environmental agency so far, as DCM completes a federal consistency review of the proposal.
The proposed project, submitted to the state by military officials, would increase aircraft and unmanned systems operations, add watercraft operations and increase restricted areas around two bombing targets in the Pamlico Sound.