Rhode Island Code of Regulations › Title 650 - Coastal Resources Management Council › Chapter 20 - Coastal Management Program › Subchapter 05 - Ocean Special Area Management Plan › Part 3 - RICRMP: Ocean SAMP - Chapter 3 - Global Climate Change (650-RICR-20-05-3) › Section 650-RICR-20-05-3.3 - Policies and Standards (formerly Section 350)

Current through June 14, 2024
A. The
				  Coastal Resources Management Council ("Council") developed and adopted on
				  January 15, 2008, §00-1.1.10 of this Chapter and is part of the federally
				  adopted Rhode Island Coastal Resource Management Program (RICRMP). This is the
				  controlling provision for the upland areas within the Council's jurisdiction
				  and the immediate shoreline areas and seaward to a distance of 500 feet
				  offshore. This Part is intended to be the controlling policy for the ocean
				  waters from beyond the 500 foot mark out to the three-mile limit.
B. See §00-1.1.10 of this Chapter for
				  the most recent policies on climate change and sea level rise.
3.3.1
General Policies (formerly
				  §350.1)
A. The Council recognizes
				  that the changes brought by climate change are likely to result in alteration
				  of the marine ecology and human uses affecting the Ocean SAMP area. The Council
				  encourages energy conservation, mitigation of greenhouse gasses and adaptation
				  approaches for management. The Council, therefore, supports the policy of
				  increasing offshore renewable energy production in Rhode Island as a means of
				  mitigating the potential effects of global climate change.
B. The Council shall incorporate climate
				  change planning and adaptation into policy and standards in all areas of its
				  jurisdiction of the Ocean SAMP and its associated land-based infrastructure to
				  proactively plan for and adapt to climate change impacts such as increased
				  storminess and temperature change, in addition to accelerated sea level rise.
				  For example, when evaluating Ocean SAMP area projects and uses, the Council
				  will carefully consider how climate change could affect their future
				  feasibility, safety, and effectiveness. When evaluating new or intensified
				  existing uses within the Ocean SAMP area, the Council will consider predicted
				  impacts of climate change especially on sensitive habitats, most notably
				  spawning and nursery grounds, of particular importance to targeted species of
				  finfish, shellfish, and crustaceans.
C. The Council will convene a panel of
				  scientists biannually to advise on findings of current climate science for the
				  region and the implications for Rhode Island's coastal and offshore regions, as
				  well as the possible management ramifications. The horizon for evaluation and
				  planning needs to include both the short term (10 years) and longer term (50
				  years). The Science Advisory Panel for Climate Change will provide the Council
				  with expertise on the most current global climate change related science,
				  monitoring, policy, and development design standards relevant to activities
				  within its jurisdiction of the Ocean SAMP and its associated land-based
				  infrastructure to proactively plan for and adapt to climate change impacts such
				  as increased storminess, temperature change, and acidification in addition to
				  accelerated sea level rise. The findings of this Science Advisory Panel will be
				  forwarded on to the legislatively-appointed Rhode Island Climate Change
				  Commission for their consideration.
D. The Council will prohibit those land-based
				  and offshore development projects that based on a sea level rise scenario
				  analysis will threaten public safety or not perform as designed resulting in
				  significant environmental impacts. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) has
				  developed and is implementing design and construction standards that consider
				  impacts from sea level rise. These standards and other scenario analysis should
				  be applied to determine sea level rise impacts.
E. The Council supports the application of
				  enhanced building standards in the design phase of rebuilding coastal
				  infrastructure associated with the Ocean SAMP area, including port facilities,
				  docks, and bridges that ships must pass under.
F. The Council endorses the development of
				  design standards for marine platforms that account for climate change
				  projections on wind speed, storm intensity and frequency, and wave conditions,
				  and will work with the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and
				  Enforcement, Department of Interior, Department of Energy, and the Army Corps
				  of Engineers to develop a set of standards that can then be applied in Rhode
				  Island projects. The Council will reassess coastal infrastructure and seaworthy
				  marine structure building standards periodically not only for sea level rise,
				  but also for other climate changes including more intense storms, increased
				  wave action, and increased acidity in the sea.
G. The Council supports public awareness and
				  interpretation programs to increase public understanding of climate change and
				  how it affects the ecology and uses of the Ocean SAMP area.