Rhode Island Code of Regulations
Title 650 - Coastal Resources Management Council
Chapter 20 - Coastal Management Program
Subchapter 05 - Ocean Special Area Management Plan
Part 11 - RICRMP: OCEAN SAMP - CHAPTER 11 - POLICIES OF THE OCEAN SAMP (650-RICR-20-05-11)
Section 650-RICR-20-05-11.8 - Decision-making

1. The Council shall work to the maximum extent practicable in coordination with the Ocean SAMP joint agency working group as defined in § 11.9.7(I) of this Part, a group facilitated by the Council and made up of appropriate federal and state agencies, to establish project specific requirements that shall be followed by the applicant during the construction, operation and decommissioning phases of an offshore development. For more information on the joint agency working group, see §11.9.7(I) of this Part.

2. The Council shall engage commercial and recreational fishermen in the Ocean SAMP decision-making process through the Fishermen's Advisory Board (FAB), as defined in § 11.3(E) of this Part. The FAB will provide the Council with advice on the potential adverse impacts of offshore development on commercial and recreational fishermen and fisheries activities, and on issues including, but not limited to, the evaluation and planning of project locations, arrangements, and alternatives; micro-siting (siting of individual wind turbines within an offshore wind farm to identify the best site for each individual structures); access limitations; and measures to mitigate the potential impacts of such projects. For more information on the FAB, see § 11.9.4(H) of this Part.

3. The Council shall work to minimize use conflicts and ensure marine safety and navigational access around and through offshore structures and developments and along cable routes during the construction, operation and decommissioning phases of offshore development, by establishing communication and coordination mechanisms between the Council, Federal and state agencies, resource users including fishermen's organizations, marine pilots, recreational boating organizations, and marine safety organizations. See §§11.9.4 through 11.9.7 of this Part for further information.

4. The Council shall convene a panel of scientists 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. This information will allow the Council to proactively plan for and adapt to climate change impacts including, but not limited to, increased storminess, temperature change, and acidification in addition to accelerated sea level rise. For more information on the Science Advisory Panel for Climate Change, see §11.9.2(C) of this Part.

5. The Council shall work to the maximum extent practicable with state and federal agencies, academic institutions, environmental organizations, and others to make sure it is using the best available science and modeling tools to inform the decision making process. Tools including the Technology Development Index (TDI) and the Ecological Value Map (EVM) will inform site selection of future development and help to understand where areas of greatest ecological value exist in the Ocean SAMP area to then determine appropriate sites suitable for preservation and/or future development. For more information on these tools, see Chapter 2, Ecology of the SAMP Region, and Part 8 of this Subchapter (Renewable Energy and Other Offshore Development).