10/07/2026
Love the USMC but shutting off access to the Sound is an overreach by the Feds.
Update on the bombing range public trust waters grab by MCAS-Cherry Point. The deadline for submitting public comment is Oct 15. I will be posting my public comment once I submit it.
Please submit written comments by Oct. 15, 2026, to Federal Consistency Coordinator, 400 Commerce Avenue, Morehead City, NC 28557, or by email to [email protected]. Please put “Federal Consistency: USMC MCAS Cherry Point” in the subject line. All comments will be considered in developing the state’s consistency response.
For those wondering about the current rules- I have included them below with a map. There is a large inner circle that has a 1.8-mile radius from the primary target. This area is permanently closed. There is an outer circle that has a 2.5-mile radius from the same primary target. The area between these two circles is closed only five consecutive days (Monday through Friday) per month during the months of February through November between the hours of 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. To understand when the “outer band” area is closed, you will need to contact Marine Corps Station Cherry Point Range Notifications: (252) 466-0051 or use the Notification to Mariners System that will also be utilized to inform the public on the status of the training area. The temporary closure times are scheduled two weeks in advance of the actual training start date.
It is an extreme over-reach taking Public Trust Waters away from recreational anglers, commercial fishermen, and boater by asking for a 500-foot shoreline permanent safety closure in the areas that I have highlighted and circled in red.
