No Port Southport NC,Inc. was the brainchild of Rhodes Messick, a resident of Southport, North Carolina. The North Carolina State Ports Authority (NCSPA) had just announced publicly for the first time that they had a business plan and pro forma for an international container mega-port to be located on the shores of the lower Cape Fear River in Brunswick County. He gathered together a group of concerned citizens who became the organization's steering committee.
The steering committee began to brainstorm about strategies to stop the construction of this massive industrial enterprise, in a residential county whose primary industry is tourism, in April of 2008. NoPort Southport had its first community town hall meeting on June 22, 2008 where they presented all known details about the port and the numerous issues showing that this project was ill conceived on a number of levels. They also raised several questions that the NCSPA has yet to confront. The process for approval of the port will take a number of years (3-5 is a fair estimate). This committed group of citizens will be on top of this project until the very end, and hope to encourage other residents of the surrounding areas to become involved in the effort as well.
No Port Southport NC, Inc. has already established strategic collaborations with a number of local and state-wide environmental groups, as well as experts in the fields of wetlands, geology, hydrology, marine science, economics and other related areas. Please visit this website often as it will be updated as information becomes available. Also, please consider becoming a volunteer, or making a badly needed monetary contribution. No Port Southport NC, Inc. is an official North Carolina non-profit corporation and a 501 (C)(3) corporation so that all contributions retroactive to June 2008 are tax deductible.
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The Old Yacht Basin photo courtesy of Rhodes Messick
Mission Statement
Our Mission is to stop the construction of the proposed international port at Southport NC (NCIT). The purpose behind our mission is to preserve and protect:
• The safety and security of the area that will be compromised by the close proximity of the proposed port to the nuclear power plant and the Army ammunition terminal, as well as the surrounding communities;
• The quality of life and economic viability of the region;
• The fragile barrier islands and marshes along the Cape Fear River that provide habitat for numerous bird, animal and marine life populations;
• The mainland coastline from hurricanes and other coastal storms and;
• The ecology of the entire Lower Cape Fear River region.
History & Mission Statement 
