The Boston Globe — Here’s who will serve on a commission looking into R.I. shoreline rights
People strolled along the shore at East Matunuck State Beach in South Kingstown, R.I. last year. State beaches are open to the public, but there can be conflicts on private shore property. ARAM BOGHOSIAN FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE
Aug 11, 2021
By Brian Amaral — A new Rhode Island House study commission looking into the hotly contested subject of shoreline rights will meet for the first time Aug. 26 at the State House, according to the office of House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi.
The commission comes amid broader disputes in Rhode Island about where and how people should be able to access the state’s 400 miles of shoreline. Rhode Islanders have the constitutional right to traverse the shore below the mean high-tide line, to fish, to swim, and to even gather seaweed. But they need some way to get there, and once they’re there, conflicts often emerge with adjacent property owners.
The members of a 12-member commission that’s supposed to sort it all out were announced today. They’ll specifically tackle lateral access -- in other words, the line along the shore where private property ends and public access begins. But they could also review related subjects.
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