Rhode Island bill would replace Coastal Resources Management Council with new Department of Coastal Resources

A bill has been introduced that would replace the existing Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) with a new Department of Coastal Resources. The legislation is currently under consideration by the State House and Senate.

The legislation was sponsored by Sen. Victoria Gu and Rep. Terri Cortvriend and championed by Attorney General Peter Neronha, who has been critical of the CRMC and its handling of several high-profile issues, including the approval of the expansion of Champlin’s Marina.

“If protecting our coastal resources is a priority, Rhode Island deserves a dedicated agency with resources and expertise to handle these permitting and enforcement issues,” said Attorney General Neronha. “More than three years ago, my Office successfully intervened, on behalf of the public, in the legal dispute over the proposed expansion of a marina in Block Island’s Great Salt Pond because of an attempt by Champlin’s Marina and the CRMC to circumvent the public regulatory process. The Champlin’s case, and the CRMC’s handling of other matters such as the Jamestown Boatyard expansion, underscored the extent to which CRMC needs reform. This proposed legislation to reform the CRMC would ensure more meaningful and transparent regulation and ultimately better protection of Rhode Island’s treasured coastal resources.”
The bill has also been met with support from local leaders and environmental advocates, who believe that it is an essential step in reforming the CRMC. They argue that the current structure is not conducive to public input and accountability, and that the new Department of Coastal Resources will be more effective in addressing the challenges facing Rhode Island’s coastal ecosystems.

“Rhode Islanders care a lot about shoreline access, marine life and protecting our environment,” said Senator Gu (D-Dist. 38, Westerly, Charlestown, South Kingstown). “Our beautiful coastline is facing significant pressures from development, biodiversity loss and climate change. The staff at CRMC are fantastic, but this 50-year-old council structure just isn’t up to the challenges we face. We need to make a change.”Said Representative Cortvriend (D-Dist. 72, Portsmouth, Middletown), “The current board running CRMC is composed of political appointees who don’t need to have any expertise about coastal issues and unlike our other government departments, they are insulated from the public accountability. In order to bring the necessary expertise and public interest to the leadership of CRMC, we need wholesale change of its structure.”

If approved, the new legislation will represent a significant victory for Neronha and his efforts to reform the CRMC. The CRMC has been a controversial institution, and many believe that its elimination is long overdue. The new Department of Coastal Resources represents a more democratic and accountable approach to managing Rhode Island’s coastal resources, and it is hoped that this will ultimately lead to improved environmental quality and public trust.

The Senate version of this bill, which has 15 cosponsors in addition to Senator Gu, will be heard in the Senate Environment and Agriculture Committee today, April 3, at 4 p.m. in the Senate Lounge on the second floor of the State House.

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) assisted a What’sUpNewp journalist with the reporting included in this story.