5Q: Jonathan Stone

 / PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY
/ PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

1 The role of Save The Bay includes environmental advocacy and education. How do you balance the two?

Save The Bay’s commitment to environmental education is strategic and reflects our belief that advocacy for the bay begins with education. Our school programs are a core element to our advocacy mission. We teach marine science and coastal ecology with two goals in mind: to improve student interest and proficiency in the sciences and inspire the next generation of bay stewards.

2 What is your view of the expansion proposed for ProvPort?

Save The Bay has always believed in mixed and balanced use of the bay and respects the important role commercial shipping plays in our regional economy. Let’s not forget that a clean and healthy bay is one of the most important economic drivers in the state. We are neighbors with the port and have always had a constructive relationship. We have been very clear that we are not opposed to port expansion or industrial operations along the Providence waterfront, so long as environmental laws are respected and enforced.

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3 How do you keep open access across the bay at points near private property?

We think about public access in three ways: access to the shore, water quality and use conflicts. We have seen good progress on the water-quality front. On the other hand, there are many deeded public-access right of ways which remain obstructed or inaccessible for public use. We are working closely with the [Coastal Resources Management Council] to address this particular problem.

4 What is the most important public-policy improvement of the past five years?

The Cesspool Phase-out Act and Wetlands Protection Act, both passed in 2015, are major milestones in our efforts to improve water quality in and around the bay.

5 The bay has had improving health in recent years. What are some current threats to that?

Today, large areas of the bay suffer from polluted runoff that closes beaches and shellfishing grounds, and threatens fish and wildlife. Rapid climate change is also profoundly altering the health of the bay, with salt marshes stressed by rising sea levels, native species being displaced by invasive species and warmer waters affecting water quality. •

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