CRMC still hampered by lack of appointments, staffing
By Topher Hamblett, Save The Bay’s Director of Advocacy
Published online in the Providence Journal on October 3, 2022 and in print on October 23.
The Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC)—the state agency charged with preserving and restoring Rhode Island’s coastal environment—remains plagued by canceled Council meetings and insufficient staffing.
CRMC plays an essential role in matters of increasing importance to the Ocean State: aquaculture, dredging, public access, and addressing climate crisis impacts like rising seas, coastal erosion, habitat loss and wind energy development siting.
The agency is made up of professional, full-time staff and an appointed, part-time Council. Nine of the ten Council members are volunteers who are not required to have any expertise whatsoever on coastal matters, but who are nonetheless empowered to make decisions on major, high-impact development proposals. (The Council can even veto the guidance and recommendations of CRMC’s highly respected staff—one of the many reasons Save The Bay continues to call on the General Assembly to change the Council from a decision-making body to an advisory one.)
During the 2022 legislative session, four vacancies existed on the Council, leaving it unable to make quorum and resulting in frequent meeting cancellations. Yet, the Governor failed to nominate sufficient candidates to fill all four vacant Council seats, or the seats of those whose terms had expired. Instead, he nominated just two members, both of whom won Senate confirmation.
With two remaining vacancies—and the Senate not expected to return until January 2023—issues regarding the Council’s inability to make quorum continue. So far in 2022, Council meetings have been canceled for this reason six times. Eight subcommittee meetings of the Council—on topics ranging from public access to coastal planning to regulatory changes—have been canceled for the same reason.
Canceled meetings delay decisions. They are disruptive to both public and private entities that usually hire professional biologists, engineers, or attorneys to prepare applications and make presentations at Council meetings. In 2022, aquaculture lease applications, the designation of new public rights-of-way, and important climate adaptation projects have all been delayed. Cancellations have also held up projects that enhance public access and manage flood risks, some of which are backed by hard-won state and federal grants.
Further, the agency itself remains woefully understaffed during a time of increasing demands from climate change and wind energy projects. While two new staff positions were created during the 2022 session, four positions remain vacant, including the important position of deputy director. The newly-created position of an independent hearing officer—who will adjudicate cases and improve agency transparency—has not been posted.
Save The Bay calls on Gov. McKee to end preventable delays of CRMC business by (1) appointing new Council members and (2) prioritizing filling new staff positions. Rhode Island’s coast, and the agency charged with protecting it, are far too important to be neglected.
Topher Hamblett has been Save The Bay’s Director of Advocacy since 2010.