| R 272 |
| 2016 -- S 3007 Enacted 06/01/2016 |
| S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N |
| RESPECTFULLY REQUESTING THAT THE COASTAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT COUNCIL AND THE RHODE ISLAND DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT STREAMLINE THE PERMITTING PROCESS FOR AQUACULTURE AND IDENTIFY AREAS SUITABLE FOR AQUACULTURE |
| Introduced By: Senator V. Susan Sosnowski |
| Date Introduced: May 19, 2016 |
| WHEREAS, The aquaculture industry is an integral component of the local seafood |
| market in Rhode Island and vitally important to our state economy. The 2015 Aquaculture in |
| Rhode Island Report issued by the Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) illustrates |
| the growth of the aquaculture industry in Rhode Island, citing increases in the number of farms, |
| area under cultivation, consumption and the number of farm workers employed; and |
| WHEREAS, In 2015, the farm gate value (the value for the product paid to the farmer) of |
| the state's aquaculture products increased 7 percent, from just over $5 million in 2014 to $5.4 |
| million; the number of farms increased from 55 to 61, with a total of 241.38 acres farmed; six |
| new farms were permitted, including the state's first shellfish hatchery; and the number of |
| aquaculture farm workers also increased 20 percent, from 142 to 171; and |
| WHEREAS, In 2015, oysters remain the aquaculture product of choice in the state, with |
| more than 8.2 million sold for consumption, an increase of 725,040 from last year; and oyster |
| seed sales from Rhode Island aquaculturists were valued at $162,500; and |
| WHEREAS, The Coastal Resources Management Council is the management agency |
| responsible for issuing permits for aquaculture farms; and |
| WHEREAS, The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) is |
| required to provide recommendations or opinions on pending aquaculture permit applications |
| before the permit can be approved by CRMC. Recommendations and opinions provided by |
| RIDEM are based upon their assessment of the environmental impact the proposed aquaculture |
| venture will have on existing ecosystems; and |
| WHEREAS, CRMC and RIDEM have been successful making coordinated decisions |
| about shellfish harvesting, shellfish restoration, and shellfish aquaculture under the Rhode Island |
| Shellfish Management Plan since 2014. The plan implementation governing the collaborative |
| efforts between the CRMC and RIDEM has been described as being very valuable in regulatory |
| reform, guiding research projects, and for outreach and education; and |
| WHEREAS, A Lean Government process is a production approach and set of methods |
| that seeks to eliminate all non-value added activity from a process. RIDEM has had a Lean |
| Government initiative in place since 2012, however, this initiative has yet to be applied to the |
| aquaculture permitting process; and |
| WHEREAS, Implementing a Lean Government process defining the continuance of |
| collaborative efforts between the CRMC and RIDEM in the aquaculture permit approval process |
| will build upon the success of the Shellfish Management Plan; and |
| WHEREAS, In addition to a Lean Government process, spatial planning and mapping |
| has been identified as reducing cumulative impacts of many farms and ensuring that aquaculture |
| stays within the surrounding ecosystem's carrying capacity; now, therefore be it |
| RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations |
| hereby respectfully requests that the CRMC and RIDEM, through continued collaboration, |
| complete a Lean Government process to increase the efficiency of the aquaculture permit |
| application process and, no later than January 1, 2017, recommend to the Senate President and the |
| Chair of the Senate Committee on Environment and Agriculture statutory and regulatory changes |
| to streamline the aquaculture permitting process; and be it further |
| RESOLVED, That this Senate hereby respectfully requests that the CRMC and RIDEM |
| conduct a comprehensive mapping process to identify areas that are appropriate and suitable for |
| aquaculture; and be it further |
| RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to |
| transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Director of the Coastal Resources |
| Management Council and the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Environmental |
| Management. |
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| LC006020 |
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