The bill amends Section 2-1-20.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 2-1, which pertains to the agricultural functions of the Department of Environmental Management. The bill authorizes the director to adopt, modify, or repeal rules and regulations in accordance with the purposes of specified sections and subject to the administrative procedures act. It also grants the director the authority to establish jurisdictional areas through regulation and mandates that within 18 months from the enactment of this section, the department and the coastal resources management council must promulgate standards for freshwater wetland buffers and setbacks into state rules and regulations. The bill requires collaboration between the department and the coastal resources management council to develop state standards for freshwater buffers and setbacks, and it includes a provision for municipalities to petition for increased buffer sizes. Additionally, the bill calls for the consideration of agricultural and plant-based green infrastructure practices in developing these standards and establishes an advisory work group to facilitate input on the criteria for freshwater wetland setbacks and buffers.

The bill also introduces a new subsection (e), which specifically addresses property owners in the town of Coventry who own property on or adjacent to a pond with a capacity greater than 1,400 normal storage acre feet of water. It states that these property owners only need approval from the Department of Environmental Management to alter, repair, modify, or replace a dock on such a pond. Existing docks as of the date of the enactment of this section are deemed to be accepted as "existing docks" by the department. The definition of "pond" for the purposes of this section is as defined in § 2-1-20, and ponds owned by the State of Rhode Island, its governmental subdivisions, any city or town and their governmental subdivisions, or by any quasi-public entity or utility are not subject to this section. The act would take effect upon passage.

Statutes affected:
6460: 2-1-20.1