Spotlight on Rhode Island Coastal Program

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) spent a few days in Rhode Island last week to evaluate the RI Coastal Resources Management Program, part of a periodic review the NOAA Office for Coastal Management (OCM) performs of all U.S. coastal programs.

A team of three representatives from NOAA, as well as a fourth representing another state’s coastal program – in this case, a member of the California Coastal Commission – evaluated the Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) of Rhode Island and its program Tuesday, June 18, through Thursday, June 20, 2019.

The team met with a number of stakeholders with which the CRMC has working relationships, including Save The Bay, The Nature Conservancy, University of Rhode Island, other state agencies, municipal leaders and environmental consultants.

A group took the evaluation team to the Quonochontaug salt marsh in Charlestown, the site of a recent CRMC salt marsh restoration and elevation enhancement project.

During the visit, the team also spoke with the stakeholders CRMC staff on a variety of topics, including the Beach and Ocean Special Area Management Plans, habitat restoration, coastal resilience and coastal hazards, and program administration.