Press & News
Newport Daily News — With little warning, Clean Ocean Access dissolves. What the founder says about its legacy
By Savana Dunning — With little warning, Clean Ocean Access, the nonprofit agency that has cleaned up Aquidneck Island beaches for nearly a decade, announced that it will dissolve.
Newport This Week — Clean Ocean Access Dissolution
Clean Ocean Access (COA), a nonprofit organization with the vision of A Clean,
Healthy Ocean that is Accessible to All in its 10 year anniversary has made the difficult decision to dissolve the organization.
Boston Globe — R.I. shoreline fire district sues to stop path to beach from being opened to public
By Brian Amaral — “This lawsuit is about two things: property rights and abuse of government process for political gain,” Weekapaug Fire District moderator Bob McCann said of the would-be shore access path in Westerly
Projo — 24 to Watch in 2024 — Conrad Ferla helps protect shoreline access in Ocean State, but his fight isn't over
By Savan Dunning — Conrad Ferla’s love of surfing led him down the path to becoming a shoreline-access advocate.
The Public’s Radio — Weekapaug Fire District takes new legal action against Westerly and Rhode Island
By Alex Nunes — The increasingly litigious shoreline fire district wants to end a state review that could result in a new beach right-of-way being designated in Westerly.
The Public’s Radio — Stern warning from R.I. ACLU prompts changes to Weekapaug Fire District website
By Alex Nunes — The Westerly-based fire district, a taxing entity with government authorities but no fire department, had blocked information on its website from public view.
NJ.com — Ocean Grove could be fined $25K a day if it keeps blocking beach on Sundays, state says
By Rob Jennings — State officials have notified a Jersey Shore landowners’ association that it could be fined up to $25,000 a day if it resumes blocking beach access on Sunday mornings next summer.
Boston Globe — RI’s The Public’s Radio to leave its studio in Westerly after tensions over shore access coverage
By Brittany Bowker — “Our physical location in the theater is more harmful to the Theatre than it is beneficial,” said Torey Malatia, chief executive of The Public’s Radio.
The Public’s Radio — Weekapaug Fire District seeks court ruling over popular Westerly shoreline sand trail
By Alex Nunes — The Weekapaug Fire District has filed a motion in Rhode Island Superior Court, asking a judge to find the town of Westerly in contempt of a decades-old agreement that covers use of a road known as the Sand Trail that runs down the middle of the Quonochontaug Barrier Beach.
Rhode Island Current — Neronha wants shoreline access lawsuit thrown out
By Nancy Lavin — The group of coastal taxpayers seeking to stop state agencies from enforcing the new shoreline access law has no grounds to sue.
Newport Daily News — Middletown shoreline access confrontation turns into viral video – and it raises questions
By Savana Dunning — A viral video confrontation between a Middletown property owner and a Newport resident trying to access a public right of way has generated over 6 million views on TikTok, sparking social media interest and conversation about public access to the shoreline.
Country 102.5 — Did You Know All Rhode Island Beaches Are Now Public? But There’s A Catch
By Carolyn Kruse — I may be late to the party, but hey it’s never too late to share information. I just found out that Rhode Island passed a new law in June which opens all beaches to the public. But there’s a caveat. According to an article in boston.com, every beach in the Ocean State is now open to the public…
RI Sea Grant — Understanding Rhode Island’s New Shoreline Access Law
By Rhode Island Sea Grant — …Below is a breakdown of what this law means, as well as tips for advocates and the webinar sponsored by the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) and Rhode Island Sea Grant.
Boston Globe — Property owners’ suit seeks to block new R.I. shore access law
By Brian Amaral — a lawsuit filed Friday by the Rhode Island Association of coastal taxpayers opens a new chapter in Rhode Island long-running fight over shore access
The Public’s Radio — Private property owners file lawsuit against Rhode Island’s new shoreline access law
By Alex Nunes — A group of coastal landowners is asking a federal District Court judge to block enforcement of a new state law intended to clarify where beachgoers can be along the state’s shoreline.
Projo — 'Get off my sand?': Coastal homeowners sue over shoreline law, but state is prepared to fight
By Antonia Noori Farzan — Coastal property owners have filed a federal lawsuit to overturn Rhode Island's new shoreline-access law. The suit claims that the new legislation, which allows the public to use the shoreline up to 10 feet inland of the seaweed line, amounts to an unconstitutional taking under the Fifth Amendment.
Block Island Times — CRMC issues cease and desist to Ballard’s
By Renee Meyer — The Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council has issued a cease and desist order to Ballard’s Inn Realty, LLC.
WJAR — Rhode Island's new shoreline access law prevails after years-long battle
By Grabrielle Caracciolo — A years-long battle over Rhode Island's shoreline access ended with a changed law.
Projo — Charlestown police officers say that sitting on beach isn't against law
In video captured by activist Scott Keeley, police officers from Charlestown say that the law doesn't prevent people from sitting down on the beach
Projo — Why a plane saying that the RI shore isn't private flew over beaches on Saturday
By Antonia Noori Farzan — A small plane with a banner stating, "THE RHODE ISLAND SHORE IS NOT PRIVATE!" flew over South County beaches on Saturday. "The point is the Rhode Island shore belongs to the Rhode Island public — always did," said Scott Keeley, the activist who organized the demonstration.