Source: Governor of Rhode Island

Completion of First-in-the-Nation Ocean Special Area Management Plan will drive location of offshore wind projects in the region.

Governor Donald L. Carcieri joined US Senator Jack Reed, Senate President M. Teresa Paiva-Weed, URI Graduate School of Oceanography Dean David Farmer, CRMC Chairman Michael Tikoian and RI Economic Development Corporation Director Keith Stokes at a press conference to celebrate the completion and adoption of the first-in-the-nation Ocean Special Area Management Plan (SAMP).

Using the best available science and working with well-informed and committed resource users, researchers, environmental and civic organizations, and local, state and federal government agencies, the SAMP provides a comprehensive understanding of the complex and rich ecosystem of the state’s offshore resources.

The SAMP lays out enforceable policies and recommendations to guide CRMC in promoting a balanced and comprehensive ecosystem-based management approach for the development and protection of Rhode Island’s ocean resources within the Ocean SAMP study area. The Ocean SAMP will also dictate the location of the state’s offshore wind projects.

“This collaborative two-year process is a model for all other states in marine spatial planning, and will make Rhode Island the first state in the nation to zone its offshore waters for renewable energy development, while also protecting commercial fishing, critical marine habitats, and marine transportation,” said Governor Donald L. Carcieri. “Rhode Island is truly fortunate to have such a dedicated team at CRMC and knowledgeable scientists at URI’s Graduate School of Oceanography.”

“The ocean is critical to our economy and our way of life here in Rhode Island. The SAMP is an important tool that relies on both science and public input to help us develop strategies to protect and manage our ocean and coastal resources. I was pleased to help secure over $2.6 million in federal funding for this landmark study and further research efforts, which could help set the national standard for developing a comprehensive and cooperative approach to state and regional ocean resource management,” said U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), a member of the Appropriations Committee. Reed secured $666,050 in the FY2009 Energy and Water Appropriations bill, and an additional $2 million in federal funding for the SAMP came from the Recovery Act for further research and analysis.

President of the Senate M. Teresa Paiva Weed said, “I want to thank the SAMP management team, the board and staff of the CRMC, the URI Graduate School of Oceanography, Sea Grant and the many partners who worked to make Rhode Island a national leader in the promotion of balanced, ecosystem-based management for the development and protection of our ocean resources.

The SAMP offers us a scientific guide to balance environmental protections with economic development objectives.”

“We are very proud that we were able to complete this massive study on time, on budget, while maintaining the highest academic standards. Every bit of the science was peer-reviewed, and provided exciting new information about the study area.

This is a great example of the faculty and scientists at the University of Rhode Island working in partnership with the state to answer important questions about our waters before any development plan is considered. This Rhode Island effort is serving as a national model for marine spatial planning,” said David Farmer, Dean, URI Graduate School of Oceanography.

“The CRMC is proud to be a national leader in marine spatial planning with the completion of the Ocean Special Area Management Plan. The SAMP will be an invaluable tool that will help us manage the offshore environment for the benefit of Rhode Island’s future,” said Michael Tikoian, Chairman of CRMC.

In order to foster a properly functioning ecosystem while balancing what is both ecologically sound and economically beneficial, the goals of the Ocean SAMP are to foster a properly functioning ecosystem that is both ecologically sound and economically beneficial, to promote and enhance existing uses, to encourage marine-based economic development that considers the aspirations of local communities and is consistent with and complementary to the state’s overall economic, social, and environmental development, and to build a framework for coordinated decision-making between state and federal management agencies.

“The Ocean SAMP put Rhode Island at the forefront in our national effort to better manage our Ocean Environment. No other state in the nation has attempted such a comprehensive and ambitious effort working with stakeholders, federal and state agencies and the Narragansett Tribe to understand and plan for Ocean Resources. We truly are a national model,” said Grover J. Fugate, Executive Director, Coastal Resources Management Council.

The Ocean SAMP study area boundary includes approximately 1,467 square miles (3,800 square kilometers) of portions of Block Island Sound, Rhode Island Sound and the Atlantic Ocean. The study area begins 500 feet from the coastline in state waters, from the mouth of Narragansett Bay seaward, and all federal waters within the boundary. The study area abuts the state waters of Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York.

This area was selected as the Ocean SAMP study area because the natural and human activities that take place in these offshore waters have a reasonable foreseeable affect on the people of Rhode Island, and conversely, human activities also impact the Ocean SAMP ecosystem.

A similar boundary was selected by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 2003 as it implemented an Environmental Impact Statement for the selection of dredge disposal sites and by the state of Rhode Island to determine potential wind energy infrastructure sites.

Next, the SAMP will be submitted to the Rhode Island Secretary of State for state waters adoption. The CRMC will seek approvals for the SAMP from NOAA for the plan to be adopted as part of the state’s coastal management plan and request a geographical boundary expansion extending 30 miles offshore Rhode Island shores for federal consistency purposes.

In addition, CRMC will file a comprehensive plan with the Federal Regulatory Commission (FERC) and submit the plan to Bureau of Ocean Energy (formerly MMS), which controls the offshore leasing process.

Rhode Island’s approach with the SAMP has positioned the state several years ahead of other states interested in exploring the development off offshore wind projects in federal waters. As a result of the SAMP, the state believes it can shorten the leasing process from BOE from up to ten years to as few as two years.

Funding for the Ocean SAMP came from the Rhode Island Renewable Energy Fund ($3.2 million), the United States Department of Energy ($666,050), the RI EDC through the Deepwater Wind Escrow Agreement Reimbursement ($2.8 million), and in-kind contributions from the University of Rhode Island ($1.25 million).

“Rhode Island is first in the nation to develop and execute a SAMP to identify the best sites for offshore wind development, which may become a national model,” said Keith Stokes, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation. “Completion of the SAMP propels Rhode Island toward new economic development opportunities in growing green industries, building an offshore wind supply chain and creating jobs.”

The Ocean SAMP can be viewed in it entirety at http://seagrant.gso.uri.edu/oceansamp/.