Join CRMC, URI for Ocean SAMP update, celebration

March 22, 2016, NARRAGANSETT – The R.I. Coastal Resources Management Council, along with the University of Rhode Island Coastal Resources Center and R.I. Sea Grant, is marking the five year anniversary of the Rhode Island Ocean Special Area Management Plan (Ocean SAMP) – the first SAMP in the state to zone offshore waters for future uses and preservation – with an informative stakeholder meeting.

The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 29, 2016, from 5-8:30 p.m., at the URI Narragansett Bay Campus Coastal Institute, Hazard Rooms A&B. Pizza and a celebratory cake will be served, so RSVPs are requested at oceansamp@etal.uri.edu.

The Ocean SAMP, a national model for marine spatial planning adopted by the Council in 2010, is the largest SAMP developed by the CRMC, and spans approximately 1,467 square miles over portions of Block Island Sound, Rhode Island Sound and the Atlantic Ocean. The CRMC, together with the URI Graduate School of Oceanography and Coastal Resources Center, Rhode Island Sea Grant, Roger Williams University and numerous stakeholders, organizations, federal and state agencies, developed the 946-page document in two years.

At the March 29 stakeholder meeting, attendees will learn the latest news coming out of the Ocean SAMP, including updates on bird, lobster and underwater archaeological studies and research from URI, as well as information on the Block Island wind farm and the Deepwater One federal wind farm initiative from the developer, Deepwater Wind. CRMC Executive Director Grover Fugate and officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will also discuss what the Council and others are doing to ensure that the Ocean SAMP continues to be a valuable regional marine spatial planning tool in the effort to protect and enhance ocean resources. Members of the SAMP team will also be discussing updates to the planning document, as well as upcoming opportunities presented through its development.

Using the best available science and working with well-informed and committed resource users, researchers, environmental and civic organizations, and local, state and federal government agencies, the SAMP provides a comprehensive understanding of the complex and rich ecosystem of Rhode Island’s offshore waters. The document covers topics including ecology, global climate change, cultural and historic resources, fisheries, recreation and tourism, marine transportation, navigation and infrastructure, renewable energy and other offshore development, future uses, existing statutes, regulations and policies, and policies of the Ocean SAMP.

For more information on the Ocean SAMP or the Block Island wind farm pilot project, go to http://www.crmc.ri.gov/samp_ocean.html.