ecoRI — Legislation Would Fold CRMC into DEM, Remaking Controversial Executive Council Into an Advisory Board

Managing coastal development, especially in this era of climate change, is difficult work. Conservation groups have called for the CRMC board to be downgraded to an advisory role. (Frank Carini/ecoRI News)

March 23, 2026

By Rob Smith — PROVIDENCE — PROVIDENCE — Mergers and acquisitions isn’t usually a process that applies to the public sector, but under proposed legislation this year it is something that could happen with the state’s environmental agencies.

Rhode Island government splits environmental management and protection into two separate agencies. Broadly, the Department of Environmental Management handles much of the state’s interior, oversees air and water permits, and oversees the state’s food production.

The Coastal Resources Management Council has jurisdiction over developments within 200 feet of Rhode Island’s coastline and 3 miles out to sea, an area that covers all of Narragansett Bay and most of Block Island Sound.

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.

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