The Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point has proposed expanding its training activities within the existing Cherry Point Range Complex in Carteret County — and a public comment window is currently open. According to reporting by Coastal Review, the North Carolina Division of Coastal Management is hosting a public hearing on September 29 at Carteret Community College in Morehead City to accept comments on the proposal. If you own property near coastal waters in Carteret County, or if you’re under contract on one, this is the kind of regulatory process that merits a closer look before the comment window closes.
The short version: the range doesn’t get bigger, but what happens inside it would change — and one specific geographic restriction is being made permanent.
What the Proposal Actually Says
The proposal — sourced from the NC Division of Coastal Management’s federal consistency review process, as reported by Coastal Review — would update training activities and operations within the MCAS Cherry Point Range Complex. According to that reporting, the changes include:
- Adding and increasing training activities involving aircraft, unmanned systems, and watercraft operations within the range
- Expanding restricted water areas near Bombing Targets 9 and 11 (referred to in the proposal as BT-9 and BT-11)
- Establishing a permanent 500-foot restricted area safety buffer around BT-11
Coastal Review’s report is explicit that the overall size of the range complex and existing special-use airspace would not change under this proposal. The expansion is specifically in restricted water areas, not the airspace footprint.
That distinction matters for how you think about this as a property owner. The question isn’t whether a new, larger zone is being drawn over your parcel — it’s whether the water access you rely on, or that a buyer of your property might rely on, falls within the areas being newly or more permanently restricted.
What “Federal Consistency” Means for This Review
The NC Division of Coastal Management isn’t the permitting authority for a federal military proposal — the federal government operates differently than a private applicant seeking a CAMA permit. What the Division is doing here is a federal consistency review: evaluating whether the federal proposal is consistent with the enforceable policies of North Carolina’s Coastal Management Program.
That’s a meaningful check. If the state finds the proposal inconsistent with coastal management policies, it can object — though the federal agency retains certain override options. The Division’s review will determine whether to concur with the proposal as submitted, concur with conditions, or object. A notice of the Division’s decision is available upon request, according to Coastal Review’s report.
For property owners, this process is one of the few formal leverage points where public comment has a documented role. Written comments and those recorded at the September 29 hearing will both be considered in developing the state’s consistency response.
How to Participate Before the Deadline
The public hearing is scheduled for 5–7 p.m. on September 29 at Carteret Community College, 303 College Circle, CMAST Room 410, Morehead City. Written comments are accepted through October 15.
Two ways to submit written comments, as reported by Coastal Review:
- By mail: Federal Consistency Coordinator, 400 Commerce Ave., Morehead City, NC 28557
- By email: Use the subject line “Federal Consistency: USMC MCAS Cherry Point” — the email address was included in Coastal Review’s report; confirm the current address directly with the NC DEQ Division of Coastal Management before submitting, as contact details can change
If you’re a waterfront property owner near the range complex, a comment that specifically addresses how the expanded restricted water areas or the permanent BT-11 buffer would affect your documented use of adjacent waters is more useful to the record than a general one. Specificity — your parcel address, the nature of your water access, how you currently use the affected area — gives the Division something substantive to weigh.
What Property Owners Near the Range Should Be Checking Now
If your property sits near Pamlico Sound, Core Sound, or the tidal waters adjacent to the range complex, the permanent 500-foot buffer around BT-11 is the most concrete change to assess. The proposal doesn’t expand the overall range, but a permanent restricted water buffer in an area that was previously less restricted is a different operational reality than a temporary or informal one.
Before the comment window closes, consider pulling the following:
- The parcel’s relationship to BT-9 and BT-11 — Carteret County’s GIS portal lets you view parcel boundaries against geographic layers; confirm which public layers currently show range or restricted zone overlays, and whether your parcel or its water access falls within or adjacent to the newly proposed buffer
- Existing deed restrictions or easements — confirm with Carteret County’s Register of Deeds whether any existing military easements are already recorded against the parcel; what that records office can reveal before you make an offer is worth reviewing before assuming you have the full picture
- Water access rights in the purchase contract — if you’re currently under contract on a waterfront parcel anywhere near the range, verify with your attorney whether access to the specific water body is explicitly addressed and how a newly permanent buffer might affect any represented use
- CAMA permit implications — any dock, pier, or bulkhead project near restricted military waters is subject to additional layers of review; the steps that a CAMA permit actually requires for Emerald Isle docks and bulkheads give you a baseline for how complex that process can become when federal jurisdiction overlaps with state coastal management
The Practical Takeaway
October 15 is the written comment deadline. If you have a specific interest — either as a current owner near the range complex or a buyer with a transaction in motion — that date is not advisory.
The formal record of public comments becomes part of how the NC Division of Coastal Management constructs its consistency response. Once the Division issues its decision, the window to shape that record is closed. Attend the September 29 hearing at Carteret Community College, or submit written comments before October 15. Either way, contact the Division of Coastal Management directly to confirm hearing logistics and the current email address before you rely on any detail from secondary reporting — including this summary.