State officials invite pre-applications for fiscal year 2026 grants to improve public beach access

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management (DCM) anticipates that approximately $1.5 million in funding will be available for the 2026-27 fiscal year to help local governments improve public access to coastal beaches and waters. The Public Beach and Coastal Waterfront Access program provides matching funds to local governments to construct public access facilities in the state’s 20 coastal counties.

 “Expanding and improving public access to coastal shorelines continues to be a priority for our program and communities across the coast, so we’re looking forward to supporting additional proposals this year,” said Tancred Miller, director of the N.C. Division of Coastal Management.

Local governments interested in applying for financial assistance must submit a pre-application to the DCM by 5 p.m. on April 24, 2026, and will be notified by May 21 if their proposal is selected so they can submit a final application.

ONLINE GRANT APPLICATION WORKSHOP

An online grant application workshop will be held on Wednesday, Feb.18, from 2 p.m. – 3 p.m.  Attendees will learn about eligible projects, local match requirements, project timelines and other relevant grant application requirements. Register for the online workshop at https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/sz6e22v/lp/d77e23ea-ba2f-4ffc-8d26-2fb2ccd5ee72 

FINAL APPLICATIONS

Final applications are anticipated to be due by July 31, 2026. All final applicants will be notified in fall 2026 if their project has been selected for funding. For more information about the Public Access Grant application process, go to the DEQ website. 

Funding for the grant program comes from the North Carolina General Assembly through the state’s Parks and Recreation Trust Fund and is contingent upon the funding level in the state budget. Access projects may include walkways, dune crossovers, restrooms, parking areas, piers and related projects. Funds also may be used for land acquisition or urban waterfront revitalization. DCM staff select recipients based on criteria set by the N.C. Coastal Resources Commission. 

The grant program has awarded over 500 grants for more than $54 million since the program began in 1981. For more information about the Public Beach and Coastal Waterfront Access program, go to the DEQ website.