In accordance with notice to members of the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council’s Ocean Special Area Management Plan (SAMP) Subcommittee, a meeting of the subcommittee was held on Tuesday, April 15, 2014 at 9:30 a.m. at the Offices of the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council, Stedman Government Center, 4808 Tower Hill Road, Wakefield, R.I.

MEMBERS PRESENT
Anne Maxwell Livingston, Chair
Don Gomez
David Abedon
Tony Affigne
Paul Lemont

STAFF PRESENT
Grover Fugate, CRMC Executive Director
Brian Goldman, CRMC Legal Counsel

Call to order. A. Livingston called the meeting to order. The Subcommittee approved the minutes of the previous meeting.

Item 1. Discussion of independent evaluation of the Ocean SAMP process.

Kate Mulvaney, author of the report, said the evaluation of the Ocean SAMP process was prepared for the CRMC and URI Coastal Resources Center, and was funded by the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources. Mulvaney summarized the need for conducting the evaluation, which will be the first of regular biennial assessments. The Ocean SAMP document calls for regulation evaluation of the SAMP process in order to best facilitate adaptive management and informed decision making, she said. Mulvaney conducted interviews with 24 participants in the planning process, the Ocean SAMP management team, and reviewed available literature.

The report identifies a number of accomplishments of the Ocean SAMP, including the extensive stakeholder process, state and federal recognition of the Ocean SAMP, and a marked increase in scientific knowledge of the SAMP/offshore area. Mulvaney also reported the evaluation uncovered a number of areas for potential management improvements, including the need for more formalized monitoring and evaluation framework for the SAMP and its implementation, continued deliberate stakeholder group engagement, and improved relationship building across some agencies.

The Subcommittee members agreed, after brief discussion, to put the document out for a 30-day notice. The meeting was adjourned.

The Subcommittee adjourned at 9:50 a.m.

Respectfully Submitted,
Laura Dwyer

 

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