Press & News
Newport This Week — Middletown Coastal Access Alliance Signs Memorandum with CRMC
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.
ecoRI — Despite Concerns, CRMC Approves Seawall Reinforcement at Narragansett Club
By Rob Smith — The beach around Narragansett’s Dunes Club is going to look a lot different this winter. The historic, private beach club obtained approvals from coastal regulators to reinforce its 350-foot-long seawall against erosion, much to the consternation of environmental groups concerned about shoreline access.
Warwick Beacon — In search of a ‘common-sense solution’
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.
Warwick Beacon — CRMC sees crimped shore access on Arnold’s Neck
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.
Projo — A storm damaged his beachfront property. Why is he suing over RI's shoreline access law?
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 Current — CRMC gives Quidnessett another 30 days to submit shoreline restoration plan
By Nancy Lavin — Extension comes after North Kingstown country club appeals decision in Superior Court
Rhode Island Current — Quidnessett Country Club files suit against CRMC, alleging coastal panel broke its own rules
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.
ecoRI News — This Retreat Isn’t a Sign of Weakness
By Frank Carini — When it comes to climate change and southern New England’s eroding coastline, managed retreat is an unpopular choice. But there likely will come a time, perhaps sooner than we think, when it becomes the only option.
Projo — Does RI's shoreline access law conflict with protected areas for shorebirds? What one case shows.
By Antonia Noori Farzan — A retired South Kingstown attorney accused of trespassing in a closed shorebird area on Moonstone Beach can't be found guilty because the mean high water line boundary wasn't clearly marked, according to a ruling from U.S. Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond.
ecoRI News — CRMC Council Loses Member to Resignation, Reducing Coastal Decision-Making Body to 6
By Rob Smith — The state’s coastal regulating agency is already starting the new year on the wrong foot. The Coastal Resources Management Council quietly announced last month that longtime council member and Little Compton resident Donald Gomez was resigning. Gomez, who prior to his professional retirement worked as an electric engineer for the Navy in Newport, had been serving in some capacity on CRMC’s executive panel since 2007.
Projo — RI couple's lawsuit challenges whether CRMC has say over homeowners' seawalls. Why it matters.
By Antonia Noori Farzan — A blanket ban on new seawalls and rock revetments along certain parts of the coastline means that homeowners have limited ability to defend their properties against erosion. A class action lawsuit seeks to overturn that policy, which would have major implications for Rhode Island's coastline.
The State — Senator’s rise in SC politics coincides with help for wealthy seaside property owners
By Sammy Fretwell — About eight years ago, with then-state Rep. Stephen Goldfinch seeking election to the S.C. Senate, a wealthy property owner agreed to hold a fund-raising reception in a grand beach house along Georgetown County’s eroding seashore.
Rhode Island Current — Forced to submit a plan to remove illegal seawall, Quidnessett still backs water reclassification
By Nancy Lavin — Country club restoration plans appear ‘incomplete,’ says Save the Bay
Rhode Island Current — North Kingstown country club on rocky terrain in quest to keep illegal wall
By Nancy Lavin — CRMC hearing on proposal to ease water protections pits club members against environmentalists
The Public’s Radio — Judge sides with property owners in blow to new shoreline access law
By Alex Nunes — Two lawsuits are challenging a law enacted in 2023 that sets a new definition for the public trust shoreline in Rhode Island
The Public’s Radio — Feds complete Watch Hill Lighthouse transfer, and public access guarantees aren’t included
By Alex Nunes — The official transfer of the property deed to a private nonprofit comes after months of delays and legal research that didn’t result in public access protections to the historic property and popular fishing grounds.
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 Bartholomewtown Podcast — Shoreline Access: Progress in 2023 and What to Watch For in 2024
RIpodcast.com — Coastal access activist and Bartholomewtown regular Conrad Ferla joins Bill Bartholomew for a discussion on what progress was seen in Rhode Island shoreline access during 2023 and what to watch for in 2024.
The Public’s Radio — ‘It does not look good’: Westerly solicitor in the hot seat over shoreline access representation
By Alex Nunes — Advocates for coastal access point to the town’s tepid pursuit of beach rights-of-way, questionable changes to boat mooring policies, and highly restrictive parking rules in exclusive shoreline areas. Now access advocates say the general public faces a newer threat: Westerly’s own town solicitor. They say his past actions in shoreline access matters continue to raise doubts about whose interests he’s serving in critical ongoing legal cases.