After a lengthy and thoughtful process involving a wide range of stakeholders, the RI Legislature adopted new guidelines that ensure all Rhode Islanders can enjoy access to our state’s shoreline. The right to the shore is deeply embedded in our history and culture, and I am grateful to the many advocates, leaders, and community members who worked so hard to reach a solution to this issue.
We also advanced a modest reform of the troubled Coastal Management Resource Council (CRMC) with the enactment of legislation to establish the Executive Director as a position that is appointed by the Governor as opposed to being beholden to the Council AND we finally were able to give advice and consent to a hearing officer for CRMC after a yearlong delay by the Governor’s Office to fill the position.
We took an important step toward a more equitable and sustainable future with the Senate’s passage of the Environmental Justice Act, and this bill will be a top priority for me again in the 2024 session.