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Rhode Island Shoreline Change Special Area Management Plan (Beach SAMP)
June 2018
In June 2018, the State of Rhode Island’s Coastal Resource Management Council (CRMC) adopted the Rhode Island Shoreline Change Special Area Management Plan (Beach SAMP) to help Rhode Island’s coastal communities better adapt to the impacts of climate and shoreline changes. The Beach SAMP includes various guidance and tools for policymakers and coastal managers. In Chapter 5, CRMC presents the “Coastal Hazard Application Guidance” - a five-step risk assessment framework developed for applicants to address the coastal hazards from climate change in permit applications submitted to CRMC for new and substantially improved projects. The purpose of the Coastal Hazard Application Guidance is to ensure that: (1) permit applicants are aware of the coastal risks that could impact their projects; and (2) CRMC can approve projects that are better able to adapt and are more resilient to these risks to increase safety and other benefits for communities, the environment, and the state’s economy. Through a subsequent regulatory amendment, CRMC now requires (since July 2019) that permit applicants submit a Coastal Hazard Application worksheet with their applications to CRMC. Chapter 7 of the Beach SAMP outlines a suite of adaptation measures property owners and decisionmakers can consider, including protection, accommodation, and relocation or managed retreat. The Beach SAMP provides a useful example of innovative shoreline change planning, and serves as a policy model for other state agencies and local governments on how to ensure new development and redevelopment can better adapt and be more resilient to climate change and other coastal hazards.
Resource Category: Planning
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Patterns and Projections of High Tide Flooding Along the U.S. Coastline Using a Common Impact Threshold
February 2018
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) analyzes "high tide flooding" (also known as "nuisance flooding") in this report, and finds that it is becoming more commonplace due to sea level rise. High tide flooding impacts roads, beaches, parks, and private property, and is generally more disruptive than damaging. However, there are places such as Norfolk, Virginia; San Diego, California; and the U. S Marshall islands where it is currently a serious problem. Even more, with continued sea level rise, flooding is likely to increase.
Authors or Affiliated Users: William Sweet, Greg Dusek, Jayantha Obeysekera, John Marra
Resource Category: Data and tools
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New England and Northern New York Forest Ecosystem Vulnerability Assessment and Synthesis: A Report from the New England Climate Change Response Framework Project
January 2018
Led by the U. S. Forest Service (USFS)’s Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science, this assessment evaluates the climate change vulnerability of forested ecosystems in the New England region (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, northern New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont). The report summarizes the current state of forests in the region including threats and management trends, describes climate impacts as they would progress under projected future climate scenarios, and relays the results of an extensive vulnerability assessment of the region’s forests.
Resource Category: Assessments
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Rhode Island Socioeconomics of Sea Level Rise
2016/2017
A project from the Rhode Island Division of Statewide Planning, Socioeconomics of Sea Level Rise (SLR) identifies the demographic and socioeconomic makeup of the communities located within multiple sea level rise inundation scenarios in Rhode Island. Serving as a resource in sea level rise planning, the Division suggests that data included in this project can be used for capital improvement planning, transportation planning, and overall long-range planning in communities.
Resource Category: Assessments
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Rhode Island Coastal Setbacks and Coastal Buffer Zones
November 29, 2017
Rhode Island, under the Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC), mandates erosion-oriented setbacks and Coastal Buffer Zones (Rhode Island Administrative Code 650 20-00-1. 1, Adopted November 2017). The Rhode Island CRMC is the state’s regulatory coastal management agency. These regulations better protect structures and conserve important coastal ecosystems by determining setbacks and buffers based on accelerating rates of sea-level rise and erosion. Setbacks are based on average annual rates of erosion as measured on localized, property-scale maps.
Resource Category: Law and Governance
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The State of Narragansett Bay and Its Watershed
2017
This analysis assesses the current conditions and projected trends for the Narragansett Bay, a watershed that spans Rhode Island and Massachusetts and is home to 1. 95 million people. The research is the culmination of multiple years of study by universities, organizations, federal partners, and agencies in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The results are presented in a shorter summary document and a 500-page technical report. In addition to other stressors including water quality and pollution, urbanization, and changes to habitats, the researchers look at the impacts of climate change now and in the future.
Resource Category: Assessments
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Rhode Island H 5042/S 1005 2017: Flooding and Sea Level Rise Training for Municipal Planning Boards and Commissions
September 27, 2017
Rhode Island has approved legislation that requires all members of local planning boards and commissions to participate in a training program on the impacts of flooding and sea level rise to the state. One of the priorities is to help ensure that local decision makers can calculate the effects of sea level rise and flooding on development and land use in flood plains. The training is a free two-hour course required once every two years, for both coastal and inland municipalities - as flooding is expected on inland rivers and waterways as sea level rises as well.
Resource Category: Law and Governance
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Rhode Island E.O. 17-10: Action Plan to Stand up To Climate Change
September 15, 2017
Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo signed Executive Order 17-10 on September 15, 2017 to establish a Chief Resilience Officer who will work collaboratively with partners to develop a statewide “Action Plan to Stand Up to Climate Change” by July 1, 2018. The Order recognizes that Rhode Island and its 400 miles of coastline is highly vulnerable to climate change, particularly risks related to warmer weather and waters, sea level rise, more intense storms, and flooding.
Resource Category: Law and Governance
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Implications of Climate Change for Rhode Island Wastewater Collection and Treatment Infrastructure
March 2017
This assessment for Rhode Island investigates how increasing storm intensities and flooding from climate change can impact wastewater treatment systems, including plants and pump stations throughout the state. The study presents the projected implications of climate change on Rhode Island’s nineteen public wastewater treatment facilities that are at risk of inundation, as by design they utilize low elevations, often in riverine or coastal floodplains. The RI Department of Environmental Management collaborated with the state’s Office of Housing and Community Development to evaluate these natural hazards, and begin integrating climate change considerations into wastewater system planning and design.
Resource Category: Assessments
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Avoiding Septic Shock: How Climate Change can cause Septic System Failure and Whether New England States are Prepared
February 2017
This white paper discusses climate change impacts on septic systems in New England, and whether states in the region are prepared for these impacts. The paper provides a state-by-state analysis of septic system regulations in New England and discusses how these regulatory frameworks are not fully considering climate change impacts, especially groundwater table rise. It also identifies challenges in septic system regulation, and suggests recommendations and best practices for how states and municipalities can work to change laws, amend rules, or adopt new policies or incentives to better construct, manage, and regulate septic systems to be resilient to climate change.
Author or Affiliated User: Elena Mihaly
Resource Category: Assessments
