Save Seapowet Update

Dear Save Seapowet Supporters,

It’s been almost four years since our community voiced strong objection to locating commercial aquaculture in the waters of Seapowet Cove. The CRMC is still considering the application even though the Town of Tiverton, stakeholder groups, and our community have raised substantive objections.

The application is currently being reviewed by a CRMC Hearing Officer after the CRMC Council voted to send the application to the new Hearing Officer in November 2023. Once this process is completed, the Hearing Officer will make a recommendation to the CRMC Council who will vote to approve, deny, or modify the permit.

There will be an opportunity for public testimony at the hearing to be held in Tiverton later this summer. We will send an update when the date and location are available.

So far, the CRMC Hearing Officer process has been time-consuming and costly. This application should have never gone this far and is an example of how dysfunctional the CRMC has been in protecting the Rhode Island’s Public Trust Doctrine (Article I, Section 17). Recreational use and public access are still threatened. Thankfully, there is current legislation to protect Seapowet and to reform the CRMC.

Earlier this year Representative Edwards (Bill H 7060) and Senator DiPalma (Bill S 2415) introduced legislation to protect the waters of Seapowet Cove. Representative Edwards, Senators DiPalma and Felag have been strong supporters of preserving recreational use of these waters. They understand that Seapowet’s unique ecosystem provides an irreplaceable public good. These bills would preserve the public’s use of Seapowet as intended by the federal grants used to establish the area. The contiguous waters of Seapowet need protection now and in the future.

There is also a strong legislative push to reform the CRMC. Senator Gu (Bill S 2928A) and Representative Cortvriend (Bill H 8148) have introduced bills that would replace the CRMC with a Department of Coastal Resources, which would be similar in structure to the current Department of Environmental Management (DEM). The new structure would eliminate the politically appointed Council Members and create greater accountability under a department director who would report to the governor. You can read more about the legislation in a press release from Attorney General Neronha here.

Representative Edwards has declared that the legislation to protect Seapowet is his top priority. Representative Edwards, Senators DiPalma and Felag are also co-sponsors of the CRMC reform legislation. The current legislative session will be over soon, and hopefully these bills will pass in the House and Senate to become law.

Public outcry over Seapowet prevented the CRMC from rubber stamping this application without adequate public notification. Our community has provided details on the significant conflicts and issues in this inappropriate location. Even the aquaculture industry opposes this application because of the poor location and questionable commercial viability. Why would the CRMC enable this to drag on?

Four years is a long time to keep up our advocacy for protecting Seapowet, but it’s necessary. Once metal cages go in, there is no going back. Thank you for your continuing support to make sure this ill-sited application is not granted. Stay tuned for more updates.

Save Seapowet!