CRMC begins development on Aquidneck Island SAMP

January 8, 2007, NARRAGANSETT – The Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council has announced that it has commenced development of a Special Area Management Plan, or SAMP, for the western side of Aquidneck Island. This will be the sixth SAMP in Rhode Island developed and implemented by the CRMC.

The CRMC and the University of Rhode Island’s Coastal Resources Center (CRC) will work with the towns of Middletown, Newport and Portsmouth to design a plan that encompasses: smart growth requirements set forth by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; buffers and setbacks to accommodate the expected mixed-use developments on the west side of the island; the transfer of federal land from the Navy that is consistent with CRMC regulations and SAMP guidelines; and possible water type changes for that side of Aquidneck Island that will reflect the expected change in use, as envisioned by the towns.

This and other SAMPs are designed to further facilitate the CRMC’s recent shift from permitting to a more policy-making focus outlined in the Marine Resources Development Plan, and will continue through additional initiatives and regulation changes. The need for an Aquidneck Island SAMP was also echoed in a recommendation made by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in its review of the CRMC this fall, where it outlined the western portion of Aquidneck Island as the next region to develop a special area management plan.

The development of the SAMP coincides with the U.S. Navy’s planned disposal of land on the west side. The SAMP will also incorporate many elements of the Aquidneck Island West Side Master Plan which was developed in 2005 by the Aquidneck Island Planning Commission, with the participation of local and state groups and agencies, including CRMC. The SAMP, like the West Side Master Plan, will have a significant public access component, like other SAMPs, and will encourage the use of low-impact development techniques for redevelopment areas along the western side of the island.

“The development of a SAMP for the west side of Aquidneck Island, is vital to the towns of Middletown, Newport and Portsmouth, as well as the island’s unique environment,” CRMC Chairman Michael M. Tikoian said. “SAMPs are useful and effective regional management tools, and the CRMC has had resounding success in developing and implementing them. We hope in the future to blanket the entire state with SAMPs, to better meet the goals of our Marine Resources Development Plan.”

Go to the CRMC web site, www.crmc.ri.gov for periodic updates on the Aquidneck Island and other existing SAMPs.