DEM extends comment period on wetland rules

PROVIDENCE – The R.I. Department of Environmental Management has extended the public comment period on its proposed changes to freshwater wetlands rules until March 16.
The draft regulations, developed in conjunction with the DEM Wetlands Task Force, aim to clarify the existing regulations and fees. They would establish permit exemptions for certain safety-related airport and dam projects, as well as certain restoration activities, and make it easier for property owners to determine whether a permit is required.
The new rules would also revise the DEM-Coastal Resources Management Council jurisdictional boundary in Providence and Cranston.
The 87-page draft document can be viewed online by clicking on “Wetlands Rules Hearing” under What’s Happening on the DEM home page, www.dem.ri.gov. A hearing on the proposals will be held at 1 p.m. this Friday at the DEM Headquarters, 235 Promenade St., Providence.