Public Access Threatened

Approval of proposed lease would effectively privatize this stretch of water, cutting off all public access to and use of 3+ acres, while creating dangerous conditions for all other users! (The image at left was taken at the exact lease area and shows one of the many ways the public has historically used this water. )

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When the application was first submitted the Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC, the agency responsible for aquaculture) received many letters from members of the public opposing the project, more than 10 times the number received in support. Subsequently, The South Kingstown Conservation Commission voted to reject the plan. The Rhode Island Marine Fisheries Council considered the lease, and could not vote to endorse the project (a victory for opponents). The Waterfront Advisory Committee of the SK Town Council voted, unanimously, to OPPOSE this new farm. The Town Council AGREED and sent the recommendation to the CRMC, whose aquaculture sub-committee studied the issue, holding months of public and expert testimony, concluding that the proposed plan presented a safety issue in Segar Cove and would present unacceptable conflicts with other water dependent activities.

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That carefully considered negative recommendation was then sent to the full CRMC council, where it was, inexplicably, in classic 'only in Rhode Island' style, ignored. A diminished council pushed through a 4-2 vote approving the plan, albeit a smaller version, 'modified,' designed, executed and paid for by the CRMC itself. 

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That decision was appealed to the RI Superior Court. Two years later, in March of 2026, the Court nullified the approval, citing flawed (and illegal) decision making by the Council, returning the proposal to the CRMC's aquaculture subcommittee for additional review and consideration. The schedule for that review is T.B.D.

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So...your support is still needed.

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