By Ryan Blessing — Rhode Island's Coastal Resources Management Council will resume the closely-watched public hearing on the town's application to designate Spring Avenue extension as a right-of-way to the shore on Tuesday. 

By Nancy Lavin — Says coastal regulators violated their own rules when they approved scaled-down scallop farm… The 48-page order from Associate Justice Joseph Montalbano reopens the longstanding battle between acclaimed restaurateur and oyster farmer Perry Raso and nearby property owners, remanding the case back to the council for additional public hearings and consideration. 

By Rob Smith — New legislation (H7996/S3082) proposes to merge the two entities, with CRMC — as the smaller of the two agencies — becoming a bureau within DEM. CRMC’s director would become a deputy director within DEM, and the politically appointed board that oversees the coastal agency would be transformed into an advisory body with little decision-making power.

By Justin Rowlatt — King Charles has inaugurated a new footpath stretching around the entire coast of England.

PRESS RELEASE — The Surfrider Foundation — The Surfrider Foundation has urged the Rhode Island Supreme Court to uphold the public’s longstanding right of passage along Rhode Island beaches, including the right to walk or otherwise pass along dry sand above the water.

PRESS RELEASE — Backcountry Hunters & Anglers — Earlier this month, BHA filed an amicus curiae brief jointly with The Surfrider Foundation urging the RI Supreme Court to upload the 2023 shoreline access law.

By Shannon Larson — Fights over access to waterfront and coastlines in New England are a constant.But the folks in Nantucket have taken theirs to a new level: hiring a “docent” to monitor the crowds that will inevitably swarm the Sconset Bluff Walk in summer.

By Nancy Lavin — Frustrated coastal advocates renew calls to nix politically appointed council

RINewsToday.com — New sensor network makes real-time flooding, air-quality data available to Rhode Island communities

A team of Brown University researchers has launched a new network of environmental sensors that monitor flood conditions, air quality and weather data across Rhode Island. The data, collected from nearly 100 sensors statewide, are available to anyone through an online dashboard.

By Zane Wolfgang — The Middletown Coastal Ac­cess Alliance announced at a Dec. 9 meeting that it will officially steward six public rights-of-way in Middletown through an agree­ment with the state Coastal Re­sources Management Council.

Woods Hole, Mass. -- A July 2025 report from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) claims that U.S. tide gauge measurements “in aggregate show no obvious acceleration in sea level rise beyond the historical average rate.”

By Antonia Noori Farzan — The advocacy group Save The Bay is pushing the Coastal Resources Management Council to take action against Quidnessett Country Club's illegal seawall, and is questioning why the council hasn't done so already. The CRMC voted to pursue enforcement actions on Sept. 23, but to date no further action has been taken, according to Save The Bay.

By John Howell — Danelle DeBye, who has filed suit against Safe Harbor marinas to ensure that she as well as emergency-response vehicles have access to her Arnold’s Neck home is hopeful the matter can be resolved without court action.

By John Howell — … And Bennett knows the names of many neck residents, pointing out they have lived there for generations and have always accessed the bay from what is now a Safe Harbor marina. But that doesn’t appear to be the case any longer.

By Alex Kuffner — Quidnessett Country Club has been granted a 30-day extension to submit a plan for removing an illegal seawall. The country club's proposed plan involves using potentially non-compliant plastic fiber bags for shoreline stabilization. Disagreements persist between the club and the Coastal Resources Management Council regarding the extent of restoration required. Environmental advocates express frustration over the ongoing delays and lack of action.

By Katie Mulvaney — Rhode Island beachfront property owner David Welch is suing the state's Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) over public access requirements for storm damage repairs. Welch argues the CRMC's requirement that he provide public access up to 10 feet inland of the high tide line is an unconstitutional taking of his property. This is Welch's second lawsuit against the state regarding beach access; the first challenged the 2023 shoreline access law and is pending before the Supreme Court.

Rhode Island, like the rest of the nation, will receive zero federal funding to restore beach sand when storms sweep it away. In recent years, the damage done has been severe. And the impact has been costly. Sometimes the bill has been in the millions.

By Nancy Lavin — Extension comes after North Kingstown country club appeals decision in Superior Court

By Nancy Lavin — A dispute between state coastal regulators and Quidnessett Country Club has finally landed in court, with the North Kingstown country club filing an appeal in Rhode Island Superior Court on July 9 — one day before it was due to turn in a restoration plan for its coastline.