Governor declares October "Salt Marsh Month"

Governor Lincoln D. Chafee recently declared the month of October “Salt Marsh Month,” in recognition of a number of salt marsh-related events and efforts led by the Coastal Resources Management Council and its partners.

Over the last 200 years, Rhode Island has lost more than half of its salt marshes to man-made impacts, resulting in a loss of approximately 4,000 acres statewide. Today, the CRMC and other partners are faced with trying to preserve and protect the remaining coastal wetlands being impacted by an increase in coastal flooding frequency, which is a direct result of sea level rise. 

Earlier this month, the CRMC and Rhode Island Sea Grant offered a tour of the Narrow River salt marsh as part of its annual Coastweeks events calendar. The tour described upcoming restoration efforts on the marsh, and how climate change and sea level rise are affecting coastal marshes, which serve as important habitat and buffer zones protecting upland areas.

The CRMC has also proposed amendments to Section 210.3 of its coastal program to adopt Sea Levels Affecting Marshes Model (SLAMM) maps for all 21 of Rhode Island’s coastal communities for coastal wetland restoration and adaptation planning purposes.