ArcGIS Online map of all CRMC-designated rights-of-way to the shore

The R.I. Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) with assistance of the URI Coastal Institute has updated its Arc GIS online database containing information on each of the CRMC-designated public rights-of-way (ROW) to the shore.

Initially created in 2014 by then-CRMC intern Emily Robinson, the newly updated version of the GIS (Geographic Information Systems) database includes a map that identifies the location of each ROW with an icon. A click on any of these icons will open a window that includes that particular ROW's name, its designation number, the means of access it provides, the coastal feature present, and other documentation regarding its designation. URI's Environmental Data Center (EDC) assisted in developing the new platform, and the Coastal Institute volunteered to undertake the effort.

Unlike other ArcGIS applications, there is no log-in required for using this ROW database.

View and Download Locations of all CRMC-designated rights-of-way to the shore

This map is hosted by RIGIS, and shows the official CRMC-designated public rights-of-way (ROW) to the shore. The data can be downloaded and used for  planning and educational efforts.

Like an easement, a public ROW relates to the public’s use, not the public’s ownership. The points were hand digitized based on the property boundary information included in the official CRMC Designation decisions, which are also recorded in land evidence records. The map layer here includes all the same information as the CRMC hosted map (currently undergoing maintenance), with the exception of the direct link to the land evidence records.

This map is hosted by RIGIS, and is a collaborative effort between the CRMC, the URI Coastal Institute, and the URI Environmental Data Center.

Shoreline and Lateral Access

Information about Rhode Islanders' right to the shore and the 2023 shoreline access bill

Shoreline Access FAQs (PDF)