Tag: Public Meeting

Notice of Public Meeting 10-29-14

Shared on behalf of Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Division of Agriculture

Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
Division of Agriculture
Notice of Public Meeting – Wednesday, October 29, 2014, 3:30 PM

Notice is hereby given that a public hearing regarding the Local Agriculture and Seafood Act (LASA) Small Grants and Technical Assistance Program will be held in Room 300 of the RI Department of Environmental Management, at 235 Promenade Street, Providence, Rhode Island.

The purpose of this hearing is to accomplish the purposes of RIGL 2-25-8 which requires the Department to annually schedule and conduct one or more public meetings to solicit input from the general public on whether the program is meeting its intended purposes, and to solicit recommendations for modifying the program.

AGENDA:

  • General overview of the program (Ken Ayars, DEM)
  • Grant round #1 overview (Leo Pollock, RI Food Policy Council)
  • Group breakouts:
  1. Discussion relative to 2015 round #2 priorities
  2. Discussion relative to outreach strategy for 2015 round #2
  • Wrap up & next steps (Ken Ayars & Leo Pollock)

Written comments are welcome and may be emailed to LASA@dem.ri.gov or mailed to/dropped off at the Division of Agriculture office at 235 Promenade Street, Providence, RI 02908 until Wednesday, November 12th at 4:00 pm. Email submissions are strongly preferred. All oral and written comments will be considered in the same manner.

NOTES: If you have questions or need additional information, please contact Ken Ayars, Chief, Division of Agriculture, 222-2781 ext. 4500, ken.ayars@dem.ri.gov, or Nicole Pollock, Assistant to the Director, 222-4700 ext. 2038, nicole.pollock@dem.ri.gov.

The meeting location is accessible to handicapped persons. If you require interpreter services for the hearing impaired, please request by contacting TDD number 222-1205 or #711 (R.I. Relay), at least 3 days in advance of the meeting.

Toxic Algae and Oyster Disease in Narragansett Bay Presentation on March 26th

Coastal State Discussion Series: Toxic Algae and Oyster Disease in Narragansett Bay

Rhode Island researchers discuss impacts of emerging algal species and marine disease that may impact the state’s seafood and water resources.

Two potential threats have emerged in Narragansett Bay waters that raise concern for both the health of Rhode Island waters and the overall state of the seafood industry.

Researchers David Borkman, marine plankton expert at the University of Rhode Island (URI) Graduate School of Oceanography, and Roxanna Smolowitz, shellfish and fish disease expert at Roger Williams University, will discuss findings of a new harmful algae species and an oyster parasite in the second event of the Coastal State Discussion Series on Wednesday, March 26, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the University Club on URI’s Kingston campus.

Borkman has been studying marine plankton in Narragansett Bay for several decades and has found a new species of algae in R.I. waters, the third observation of this species on the East Coast and the first in New England. He will discuss his findings and studies of this highly toxic species and what its presence may mean for the health of the Bay.

Smolowitz will discuss her work that looks at the transmission and impact of a new parasitic disease in the eastern oyster. This parasite has been linked to the death of oysters in Martha’s Vineyard, and its presence in Rhode Island shows a potential for significant infection of eastern oyster farms, impacting the state’s $2 million oyster industry.

This event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited, so please contact Meredith Haas at mmhaas@mail.uri.edu to reserve a place or for more information. The University Club is located on Upper College Road on URI’s Kingston Campus.

The Coastal State series is sponsored by Rhode Island Sea Grant and the URI Coastal Institute with the support of the URI Graduate School of Oceanography and the URI College of the Environment and Life Sciences. This lecture is also supported by the Rhode lsland Shellfish Management Plan.

Rhode Island Sea Grant is located at the URI Graduate School of Oceanography. For more information, visit seagrant.gso.uri.edu.

RSVP for Chart Chats–Informing Rhode Island Use Maps Meeting on June 13th

Chart Chats: Informing ‘User Maps’ with Your Activities on the Water

Thursday, June 13th, 2013, 5pm to 7pm
Warwick Public Library, 600 Sandy Lane. Warwick, RI 02889

Click here for Chart Chats Meeting Information in PDF format.

Please join team members of the Rhode Island Shellfish Management Plan (SMP) during the Warwick Public Library’s Second Annual Quahoggers Jamboree. The SMP team will have an informal display of user maps. These maps were created in coordination with stakeholders through a series of public meetings over the past several months with the goal of illustrating the many different uses of our bays and ponds to minimize user conflict. Here’s your chance to view these maps, suggest changes or additions, and guide the next phase of the effort.

WHEN: Thursday, June 13th, 5pm-7pm (Open house–please drop in at any time!)
WHERE: Warwick Public Library, Small Meeting Room
Please RSVP to smp@etal.uri.edu and include the meeting date.

This meeting coincides with Warwick’s Second Annual Quahoggers Jamboree. The Jamboree, which is also at the Warwick Public Library on Thursday, June 13th, 2013 will run from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. You must register online for this event at http://www.warwicklibrary.org/.

Reminder: SMP Stakeholder Meeting Wednesday, May 15th

May Stakeholder Meeting and Seminar Series Lecture

Please join us on Wednesday, May 15th from 5 – 7pm, in Corless Auditorium, URI-GSO Narragansett Bay Campus for the third RI Shellfish Management Plan (SMP) Stakeholder Meeting.

The purpose of the meeting will be to provide an update of the SMP, including the plan’s progress, on-going projects, and proposed next steps. In addition, we will host the 3rd Seminar in our SMP Seminar Series entitled: “Room Enough For Everyone? Addressing User Conflicts in Narragansett Bay and the Coastal Ponds.” Our panelists will speak about the myriad of marine activities and audiences present in the Bay and ponds, many of them competing for the same spaces. How do we balance uses, needs, and future growth? Panelists will speak about the concept of “social carrying capacity” and possible strategies to minimize conflicts on the water. Your questions and discussion are highly encouraged. We hope you will join us and send this invitation to others you think would be interested in this topic.

For space considerations, please RSVP to smp@etal.uri.edu and be sure to include the meeting date.

Stakeholder Meeting and Seminar Series Lecture
When: Wednesday, May 15, 5 – 7 p.m.
Where: Corless Auditorium, Watkins Building URI Graduate School of Oceanography, Narragansett Bay Campus Directions to the Bay Campus. Watkins Building is number 27 on the map.

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