The state’s Coastal Resource Management Council, which is charged with protecting Rhode Island’s most valuable natural resource – the coast – is broken. That, in a nutshell, is the assessment of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s recent review of the state agency. Here is what NOAA found: • Eight of the 16 seats on
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This does not encourage much faith in the council or their decisions. I am the director of the NNA, Nannaquaket Neighborhood Association, in Tiverton, opposing a 3-acre oyster farm application in the SW corner of Nannaquaket Pond. Although we have the support of the Tiverton Town Council (who voted unanimously7:0), the Shellfish Advisory Panel (who voted 4:2 ), the Marine Fisheries Council (who voted 3:2 ), 18 letters of protest written by NNA members and sent to the CRMC acquaculture coordinator, Dave Beutel, 11 affidavits from commercial quahoggers, and 11 affidavits from recreational quahoggers, all in opposition, I am leary of the dysfunction that exists in a state agency that wields so much power.
I find it fundamentally wrong that the CRMC may effectively grant a 3-acre lease to any applicant from anywhere, charge a few hundred dollars/year/acre, with a possibility of a 15 year lease, the area becomes completely private and restricted for the leaseholder which is transferable, with no benefit to the Town of Tiverton, the people of Tiverton, and the product is sold mostly in Boston.
Jackie Mei, director
Nannaquaket Neighborhood Association