| R 393 |
| 2022 -- S 3056 Enacted 06/22/2022 |
| S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N |
| CREATING A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO STUDY AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING RHODE ISLAND’S OLD GROWTH FORESTS |
Introduced By: Senator Michael J. McCaffrey |
| Date Introduced: June 21, 2022 |
| RESOLVED, That a special legislative commission be and the same is hereby created |
| consisting of eleven (11) members: two (2) of whom shall be members of the Senate, to be |
| appointed by the President of the Senate; one of whom shall be the Director of the Department of |
| Environmental Management, or designee; one of whom shall be from the Old Growth Tree |
| Society, to be appointed by the Senate President; one of whom shall be from the Rhode Island |
| Natural History Survey, to be appointed by the Senate President; one of whom shall be from The |
| Nature Conservancy in Rhode Island, to be appointed by the Senate President; one of whom shall |
| be from the Rhode Island Audubon Society, to be appointed by the Senate President; one of |
| whom shall be the Executive Director of the Rhode Island Land Trust Council, or designee; one |
| of whom shall be a certified arborist, to be appointed by the Senate President; and two (2) of |
| whom shall be members of a local land trust, to be appointed by the Senate President. |
| In lieu of any appointment of a member of the legislature to a legislative study |
| commission, or any commission created by a General Assembly resolution, the appointing |
| authority may appoint a member of the general public to serve in lieu of a legislator. |
| The purpose of said commission shall be to make a comprehensive study and review of |
| Rhode Island’s old growth forests and provide recommendations on preserving and protecting |
| these natural habitats. The study shall include, but not be limited to: |
| • Identifying and mapping the locations of Rhode Island’s old growth forests, rare forest |
| ecosystems, and if possible, areas of most environmentally sensitive land and/or water worthy of |
| preservation in its natural condition; |
| • Formulating advisory policies and plans to protect the state’s old growth forests, rare |
| forest ecosystems, and areas of most environmentally sensitive land; |
| • Providing advisory policies, plans, and recommendations related to the preservation and |
| protection of the state’s old growth forest; and |
| • Surveying forests scheduled for forestry operations on state and municipally owned |
| land that include timber harvesting, cutting, girdling, burning, or any alterations to the forest |
| before the forestry operation takes place to determine if there are any old growth forests in the |
| area that could be threatened by the forestry operation. If an old growth forest is found, the |
| commission may make advisory policies, plans, or recommendations for the old growth forest to |
| be protected and not disturbed by the forestry operation. |
| Forthwith upon passage of this resolution, the members of the commission shall meet at |
| the call of the President of the Senate. They shall organize and select, from among the members, a |
| chairperson or co-chairpersons. |
| Vacancies in said commission shall be filled in like manner as the original appointment. |
| The membership of said commission shall receive no compensation for their services. |
| All departments and agencies of the state shall furnish such advice and information, |
| documentary and otherwise, to said commission and its agents as is deemed necessary or |
| desirable by the commission to facilitate the purposes of this resolution. |
| The Joint Committee on Legislative Services is hereby authorized and directed to provide |
| suitable quarters for said commission; and be it further |
| RESOLVED, That the commission shall report its findings and recommendations to the |
| Senate on or before August 18, 2023, and said commission shall expire on December 31, 2023. |
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| LC006162 |
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