CRMC, RI Sea Grant present second webinar in shoreline public access series

WAKEFIELD – The R.I. Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) and Rhode Island Sea Grant (RISG) will continue their summer webinar series aimed at informing the public on issues related to shoreline public access in Rhode Island later this month with a session on environmental justice and shoreline access.

The second of three webinars will be held on June 30, 2021, from 5-6:30 p.m. “Shoreline Access for All: Environmental Justice along the Coast” will discuss environmental justice issues pertaining to shoreline public access in Rhode Island. Kate Mulvaney, Social Scientist for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, will introduce environmental justice in this context, and will discuss findings from a study investigating relative access to coastal public access points based on race, income, and geographic location across the state. In addition, Julia Twichell, Watershed and GIS specialist for the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program, will present research that used cell phone data to track visits to coastal public access points. Leah Feldman, CRMC policy analyst, will conclude by exploring the impacts of participation in a place-based educational sailing program in Newport, Rhode Island, as well as outline CRMC’s work to improve equity in coastal access. The remaining portion of the webinar will be dedicated to a question-and-answer session.

“Enhancing shoreline public access is a vital part of the CRMC’s mission in Rhode Island, and providing equal access for all communities is a priority,” said CRMC Chair Jennifer Cervenka.

Summer webinars will be followed by additional educational opportunities organized by the CRMC and Sea Grant as part of a larger effort to improve shoreline public access, awareness, and education through opportunities like the webinars, and in the future, improved signage and infrastructure, branding and messaging. The CRMC is also working to designate more rights-of-ways in locations throughout Rhode Island, including underserved and urban communities.

“The CRMC is dedicated to increasing our efforts to designate rights-of-way to the shore that are accessible to all. This past year has highlighted the need for expansion and improvement of these rights-of-ways all over the state,” said CRMC Policy Analyst Leah Feldman. “The CRMC is committed to reaching our goal of one right-of-way per every mile of coastline, and to working with our state, local, private and nonprofit partners to ensure equitable and fair access to existing shoreline rights of way.”

Check the CRMC web site for additional information and resources pertaining to shoreline public access, as well as www.shoreline-ri.com to explore Rhode Island’s public access points. To register for this webinar (RSVPs are required to reserve a space), go to www.crmc.ri.gov/publicaccess.html. Those who register will be permitted to ask questions in advance of the webinar, and there will also be time during the session for questions and answers. Recordings and additional resources from the inaugural webinar, “Shoreline Access 101: What You Need to Know,” are available at www.crmc.ri.gov/publicaccess.html.