Advanced Search

§46-23.2-2  Legislative findings. –


Published: 2015

Subscribe to a Global-Regulation Premium Membership Today!

Key Benefits:

Subscribe Now for only USD$40 per month.
TITLE 46

Waters and Navigation

CHAPTER 46-23.2

The Comprehensive Watershed and Marine Monitoring Act of 2004

SECTION 46-23.2-2



   § 46-23.2-2  Legislative findings. –

(a) The general assembly finds and declares that there is a need for an

environmental monitoring system in the state that is capable of:



   (1) Measuring the changing conditions in the functionality

and health of the waters of the state, including, but not limited to,

Narragansett Bay and its watersheds, with one purpose being identifying and

predicting potential problems in the marine and freshwater habitats;



   (2) Providing a data-based management system that employs

central database via the internet to store an internet-based electronic system

to monitor, store and disseminate the analysis of this data to decision-makers

and the public;



   (3) Establishing a mechanism to coordinate and make

consistent, monitoring efforts between government agencies, municipalities,

nonprofit organizations and universities; and



   (4) Providing the comprehensive data needed to assess a

sudden perturbation in the marine and freshwater environments and to contribute

to efforts of disaster prevention, preparedness, response and recovery as

defined in chapter 15 of title 30 entitled "The Rhode Island Emergency

Management Act."



   (b) The general assembly recognizes and declares that the

health of the waters of the state, including, but not limited to, Narragansett

Bay and its watersheds needs to be monitored comprehensively on a long-term

basis in order to be proactive in planning and responsive to potential problems

in the environment, including those that may arise due to a changing climate.

The availability of consistent environmental data supports planning and

management and provides resource managers, decision-makers and citizens with

information on how marine and freshwater habitats are responding to management

programs and what adjustments need to be made to existing programs or what new

programs must be implemented to achieve healthy marine and freshwater

environments.



   (c) The general assembly recognizes the need for an

integrated mechanism by which individual monitoring efforts can be coordinated

and managed as a system in which the functionality of Narragansett Bay, its

watersheds and other watersheds are measured and individual planning and

management efforts are adjusted to respond to support effective environmental

management.



History of Section.

(P.L. 2004, ch. 144, § 1; P.L. 2004, ch. 210, § 1; P.L. 2015, ch.

141, art. 16, § 4.)