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SAMP Chapter Archive: Public Notices, Comments, & Previous DraftsBack to current Ocean SAMP document Purpose of the Ocean SAMPThe purpose of the Ocean Special Area Management Plan (Ocean SAMP) is to serve as a regulatory, planning and adaptive management tool of the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) to uphold its regulatory responsibilities. 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 Ocean SAMP provides a comprehensive understanding of this complex and rich ecosystem. The Ocean SAMP also documents how the people of Rhode Island have used and depended upon these offshore resources for subsistence, work, and play for thousands of years, and how the natural wildlife such as fish, birds, marine mammals and sea turtles, feed, spawn, reproduce, and migrate throughout this region thriving on the rich habitats, microscopic organisms, and other natural resources. To fulfill the Council's mandate, the Ocean SAMP lays out enforceable policies and recommendations to guide CRMC in promoting a balanced and comprehensive ecosystem-based management approach to the development and protection of Rhode Island's ocean-based resources within the Ocean SAMP study area as defined in section 130. The Ocean SAMP successfully fulfills its original stated objectives as summarized below in Section 150. OLD DRAFT 7/23/10 OCEAN SAMP DOCUMENT
Executive SummaryThe purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of the Ocean SAMP document - why it was developed; a brief history of the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council's history in creating SAMPs; the goals of the SAMP; and the process by which the Ocean SAMP was produced.
Chapter 1. IntroductionThe Ocean SAMP Introduction Chapter provides an overview of the SAMP area and the SAMP document, laying the foundation for the subsequent chapters which describe the present status of the Ocean SAMP study area, characterize the natural attributes and resources of this body of water, describe current uses, identify and review existing and potential future use impacts, and present policies and recommendations that will help federal, state, and local governments work with the people of Rhode Island to wisely manage the Ocean SAMP study area for this and future generations.
Chapter 2. Ecology of the SAMP RegionThe purpose of the Rhode Island Ocean SAMP Ecology Chapter is to provide a broad overview of SAMP area ecosystem: its geology, wind patterns, air and water temperatures, salinity, water currents and circulation, chemical oceanography, phytoplankton, zooplankton, ichthyplankton, the benthos, fish, megafauna (whales, seals, turtles) and avifauna (birds). With the Ocean SAMP region being a busy maritime entryway to both Narragansett Bay and Long Island Sound, it is critical that the complex ecological and biological dynamics of this transitional sea area be increasingly studied and understood for appropriate resources management. Chapter 3. Global Climate ChangeThe purpose of the Rhode Island Ocean SAMP Climate Change Chapter is to observe past climate trends across global and local scales, consider climate change projections in the future as suggested by existing scientific studies and models, and examine what these climate change trends mean for the marine ecosystem of the Ocean SAMP area and human activities related to the Ocean SAMP. Chapter 4. Cultural and Historic ResourcesThe purpose of the Rhode Island Ocean SAMP Cultural and Historical Resources Chapter is to inventory some of these key offshore resources, especially as they relate to pre-contact tribal landscapes and historic shipwrecks, in order to more fully describe their critical value to Rhode Island and its marine ecosystem, and to provide important information for the evaluation of future offshore renewable energy development proposals. Chapter 5. Commercial and Recreational FisheriesThe purposes of the Rhode Island Ocean SAMP Fisheries Resources and Uses Chapter are to summarize existing information about current commercial and recreational fisheries resources and activities within the Ocean SAMP area; highlight the economic, social, cultural, and historic value of these activities to Rhode Island; and outline policies for managing these activities within the context of other existing and future uses. Accordingly, this chapter focuses primarily on commercially and recreationally important species that are targeted within the SAMP area by Rhode Island fishermen, and on current baseline conditions based on the best available existing data and information. Chapter 6. Recreation & TourismThe purpose of the Ocean Special Area Management Plan (SAMP) Recreation and Tourism Chapter is to provide information on the types, locations, and value of marine recreational and coastal tourism activities within the Ocean SAMP area. In addition, this chapter outlines policies for managing these uses.
Chapter 7. Marine Transportation, Navigation, and InfrastructureThe purpose of the Marine Transportation, Navigation and Infrastructure Chapter is to provide information on commercial, military, government and support vessels, and infrastructure that comprise the SAMP area elements of the nation's marine transportation system within the Ocean SAMP area. Chapter 8. Renewable Energy and Other Offshore DevelopmentThe purpose of the Rhode Island Ocean SAMP Renewable Energy and Other Offshore Development Chapter is to address potential sites in Rhode Island state and federal waters for the location of offshore renewable energy resources projects, and to describe the potential effects that renewable energy development may have on the Chapter 9. Other Future UsesThe purpose of the Rhode Island Ocean SAMP Future Uses Chapter is to explore opportunities for the future uses of the SAMP ocean area - the inner shelf - of Block Island and Rhode Island Sounds, and discuss the potentials of these to help develop further Rhode Island's ocean and green economies. Chapter 10. Existing Statutes, Regulations, and PoliciesThe purpose of the Rhode Island Ocean SAMP Existing Statutes Chapter is to provide a broad overview of those state and federal regulations which are most relevant to governance of uses within the Ocean SAMP area, as this area encompasses both state and federal waters. These key statutes, regulations, and policies have associated regulatory provisions that provide direction for, and regulation and management of, these ocean resources and uses Chapter 11. The Policies of the Ocean SAMPWhile a number of federal and state statutes, regulations, and policies now govern the uses of the areas contained within the Ocean SAMP, additional provisions are needed to provide policy direction for, and regulation and management of, new ocean resources and uses, as well as to enhance management of existing activities. The Ocean SAMP New Policies Chapter addresses these emerging policies (see the Ocean SAMP Existing Policies Chapter for information about policy measures currently in operation in the Ocean SAMP area).
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