Six ROWs adopted under CRMC Adopt-An-Access Program

December 2, 2024, WAKEFIELD — The City of Newport and Friends of the Waterfront have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with to adopt six R.I. Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC)-designated rights-of-way under the Council’s Adopt-An-Access Program.

Webster Street ROW (Z-I), Narragansett Avenue (Z-2), Ledge Road (Z-3), Ruggles Avenue (Z-4), Seaview Avenue (Z-5), and Marine Avenue (Z-24) were officially adopted by the City and Friends group at the end of October. Under the MOU and the program, both entities agree to fulfill their responsibilities which include regular maintenance of the sites, including designating tasks necessary “to ensure continuous and safe public access to the shore to the Friends of the Waterfront, according to each site’s conditions.” The City assumes responsibility for installing signage per the CRMC’s proffered letter of permission. CRMC is responsible for prosecuting any violations related to the blockage or posting at CRMC-designated ROWs, including these adopted sites.  In addition, the Friends of the Waterfront will:

• Conduct a minimum of two annual ROW cleanup events at the sites. They will coordinate trash removal with the City of Newport;
• Compile quarterly reviews by Friends of the Waterfront monitors for review by the group and post them on the Friends’ website; and
• Communicate and work with the City of Newport regarding matters of site maintenance, improvements, and reporting potential and actual problems.

The Adopt-An-Access Program was established in 2005, prompted by the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association’s adoption of a CRMC ROW in Barrington. For a sample MOU, go to http://www.crmc.ri.gov/publicaccess.html. Any groups, neighborhood associations, or individuals who would like to adopt an access point through this program should contact Leah Feldman, CRMC coastal policy analyst, at (401-) 783-3370 or via email at lfeldman@crmc.ri.gov.

CRMC is constantly striving to adopt more of its CRMC-designated ROWs through the Adopt-An-Access Program. This effort is part of a larger, far-reaching goal of expanding the CRMC ROW Program and create a wide, inclusive, evolved approach to shoreline public access in Rhode Island. For more information regarding this and other initiatives, go to http://www.crmc.ri.gov/publicaccess/shoreandlateral.html .

“The CRMC’s Adopt-An-Access Program has been an important part of our coastal program for nearly 20 years. It provides not only mechanisms for regular maintenance of rights-of-way to the shore but is also allows anyone to be stewards of their shoreline public access,” said CRMC Executive Director Jeffrey Willis. “All Rhode Islanders have a constitutional right to utilize and enjoy the shore, and adopting CRMC rights-of-way is another way to do that. We congratulate the City of Newport and Friends of the Waterfront on their recent adoption of these six sites.”