Press & News
Boston Globe — R.I. shoreline fire district sues to stop path to beach from being opened to public
By Brian Amaral — “This lawsuit is about two things: property rights and abuse of government process for political gain,” Weekapaug Fire District moderator Bob McCann said of the would-be shore access path in Westerly
Projo — 24 to Watch in 2024 — Conrad Ferla helps protect shoreline access in Ocean State, but his fight isn't over
By Savan Dunning — Conrad Ferla’s love of surfing led him down the path to becoming a shoreline-access advocate.
Newport Daily News — Middletown shoreline access confrontation turns into viral video – and it raises questions
By Savana Dunning — A viral video confrontation between a Middletown property owner and a Newport resident trying to access a public right of way has generated over 6 million views on TikTok, sparking social media interest and conversation about public access to the shoreline.
Westerly Sun — Charlestown man seeks restoration of beach signs that quote state's constitution
By Ryan Blessing — Scott Keeley has some big plans for Charlestown Town Beach this summer. Keeley went before the Town Council recently with a proposal to revamp the welcome signs at the entrance to the beach and its parking lot.
ecoRI News — Resident Challenges Buttonwood Beach Association’s Right to Withhold Records
By Rob Smith — A prominent resident and shoreline activist is charging the Buttonwoods Beach Association with violating the state’s open records law over documents related to a traffic stop in 2019.
ecoRI News — Walking Tour Illustrates the Difficulty in Accessing the Ocean State’s Public Shoreline
By Cynthia Drummond — … An issue that has elicited some of the strongest public engagement in Rhode Island in recent years, access to the shoreline in coastal towns, including Westerly, has been the subject of in-depth coverage by ecoRI News.
ecoRI News — On Guard: Public Access to Westerly Beaches Tightens
By Frank Carini — … “They have a guard posted to be sure no one walks across the walkway to the beach,” he wrote. “Next to their beach entrance is a public right of way that is blocked by a fence. … It is on town property designated as a road on older town plats.”
EastBayRI — CRMC orders public access to Nayatt seawall
By Josh Bickford — … a few months ago the owners of 85 Nayatt Road hired a security guard, installed alarms, and made it abundantly clear that their yard and the seawall were off-limits.
That decision has irritated neighbors, angered fishermen, and recently spurred an official cease and desist order from the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC). That order requires the property owners to allow public access along the riprap retaining wall.
Daily Mail — Queens man, 33, is ARRESTED and hauled across the sand in handcuffs for daring to swim at Rockaway Beach while lifeguards were off duty: 'It was baffling and traumatizing'
By Alex Nunes — A New York man was arrested on Friday afternoon for defying a city rule that prohibits people from swimming at Rockaway Beach while lifeguards are off duty, before later accusing police of brutally handcuffing and dragging him through the sand.
Projo — Shoreline access bill requires close attention (Op Ed)
Op Ed By Nathan Vinhaitero and Janet Freedman — … if the “shoreline” changes with each breaking wave, how do we draw a line in the sand for public access? Here’s what the science says on a very complex issue…
Projo — Judiciary committee unanimously votes to advance shoreline access bill, with reduced buffer
By Antonia Noori Farzan — The House Judiciary Committee voted unanimously on Thursday to advance House Bill 8055, which would establish that the public has the right to be 6 feet above the "recognizable high tide line" on any sandy or rocky shoreline.
Boston Globe — R.I. shore access bill advances in House, but faces Senate inaction
By Brian Amaral — If it became law, it would give people the rights to the shore so long as they’re below a line that’s 6 feet landward from the recognizable high tide line
The Public’s Radio — Rhode Island House Judiciary Committee passes shoreline access bill
By Alex Nunes — A bill intended to clarify shoreline rights along Rhode Island’s coast is moving forward in the House.
WGBH — Barriers at the Beach: State law and town rules keep most of Mass. shoreline off-limits
By Chris Burrell — Massachusetts should be a beach lover’s paradise, but access to the state’s shores is deeply uneven. Entry to most beaches is dependent on personal wealth, your home zip code and a shrinking allotment of “visitor” parking spaces clustered far from the water and a system of parking restrictions aimed at out-of-towners.
Projo — Where is it legal to walk on RI beaches? You might need to tread water, scientists say
By Alex Kuffner — What the two scientists are showing through precise satellite measurements is something that has long been known: that use of the mean high tide line in state law doesn’t give the public very much access at all to the shoreline.
ecoRI News — As Beach Days Come, So Does the Annual Ocean State Battle: Access and Parking
By Rob Smith — With summer approaching, the state’s activists are gearing up for battle over that most Rhode Island of issues: beach parking.
Projo — Coastal property owners dislike shoreline access bill. Will they sue to stop it?
By Antonia Noori Farzan — Is the General Assembly willing to throw its weight behind an idea with broad popular support, knowing that it's all but guaranteed to lead to lawsuits?
The Public’s Radio — Advocates ‘geared up,’ anticipating legislation on shoreline access
By Alex Nunes — A bill is expected to be introduced in the Rhode Island House this month that clarifies where people can be along the shore without creating other restrictions.
Projo — Shoreline commission gets closer to proposing legislation that would clarify public rights
By Antonia Noori Farzan — If you have access to an old ox cart, now would be the time to get out a tape measure and figure out exactly how wide it is. The answer to that seemingly esoteric question could determine where you're allowed to walk on the beach this summer.
Projo — Shoreline access commission agrees law should change, but has yet to settle on new boundary
By Antonia Noori Farzan — Most members of the special legislative commission on lateral shoreline access agree that it's absurd to use 18.6-year metonymic cycles to determine where the public beach ends and private property begins.