Permitting

Overview - CRMC Assent - DEM Requirements - Federal Permits

Coastal Resources Management Council Assent

A CRMC Assent is required to complete any seagrass restoration project, any coastal wetland restoration project, and anadromous fish restoration projects that occur within CRMC jurisdiction and/or there is an alteration to freshwater flows under Section 310 of the R.I. Coastal Resources Management Program (RICRMP). CRMC jurisdiction is the tidal extent of a river or stream system and is identified by geographic areas in the RICRMP.

The Council defines Wetland Restoration in Section 300.12 of the RICRMP to be "the re-establishment of a wetland (on the site of an historical wetland) which has been degraded to such an extent that the site performs little or none of its original wetland functions". Alterations to coastal wetlands are prohibited except for minor disturbances as specified in the provisions of Section 210.3.C 2-7 of the RICRMP.

Obtain a CRMC Application for State Assent to perform work regulated by the provisions of Chapter 279 of the Public Laws of 1971 as amended. The application for a CRMC Assent is available here in PDF format or can be obtained from the CRMC office in Wakefield, Rhode Island.

Four copies of the application and plans are required for the permit to be complete. The permit will be reviewed by CRMC staff biologists and engineers. If they require any further information, the applicant will receive a separate information request form. Forward all proposals to the R.I. Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission for review and comment.

Include other requirements as applicable. Please see the RICRMP for a complete listing of regulations that may apply to a restoration project:

• Notification of abutters for large projects
• Growing season restrictions
• Fish spawning closures

Provide the following information on the application form for a seagrass restoration project:

• description of the project and work proposed, including a plan showing the adjacent shoreline, depth based on mean low water (MLW), navigation channels, mooring fields, and other marine based activities occurring in the area
• location of the site
• plat and lot number(s)
• property owner's name and mailing address
• proof of property ownership and authorization from the property owner(s) if access to the seagrass project is over land
• work plan from the contractor performing the work
• name of the waterway where the project is occurring
• estimated project costs
• name and addresses of the adjacent property owners
• site plan of the proposed restoration project
• photographs of the proposed restoration site
• letter from the local building official or Department of Public Works Director stating that the town is in agreement with the proposed work project
• letter from the local Harbor Commission stating that the project will not conflict with commercial and recreational activities
• identification of seagrass donor bed if transplants are being used
• three-year monitoring plan

Provide the following information on the application form for a coastal wetland restoration project:

• Description of work proposed that clearly explains the restoration potential of the site. All restoration projects must be capable of reestablishing a preferred wetland plant community, which provides greater functional values than those provided by the existing wetland. Supporting information must be furnished including literature citations and appropriate site assessments. Recommended site assessments are hydrologic studies, fish and wildlife studies which include a preproject inventory and post-project habitat suitability projection, geologic assessment and sediment analysis, and other appropriate studies. A timetable of the project from initiation to completion including post monitoring is also required.
• location of the site
• plat and lot number(s)
• property owner's name and mailing address
• proof of property ownership and authorization from the property owner(s) if access to the project is over land
• work plan from the contractor performing the work
• name of the waterway where the project is occurring
• estimated project costs
• name and addresses of the adjacent property owners
• site plan of the proposed restoration project
• photographs of the proposed restoration site
• letter from the local building official or Department of Public Works Director stating that the town is in agreement with the proposed work project
• tidal data - one month of daily readings
• three-year monitoring plan
• DEM Division of Agriculture approval for herbicide use
• DEM Division of Fish and Wildlife approval
• DEM Water Quality Certification

Provide the following information on the application form for an anadromous fish restoration project:

• Description of the project and work proposed that clearly explains the restoration project, including a plan showing the adjacent shoreline, water depth, navigation channels, mooring fields, and other water based activities occurring in the area.
• location of the site
• plat and lot number(s)
• property owner's name and mailing address
• proof of property ownership and authorization from the property owner(s) if access to the project is over land
• work plan from the contractor performing the work
• name of the waterway where the project is occurring
• estimated project costs
• name and addresses of the adjacent property owners
• site plan of the proposed restoration project
• photographs of the proposed restoration site
• letter from the local building official or Department of Public Works Director stating that the town is in agreement with the proposed work project
• three-year monitoring plan

This site was created through a partnership of the: Coastal Resources Management Council Narragansett Bay Estuary Program Save The Bay®