Sometimes the process works, and to the benefit of all. In January, the Shellfish Commission began the process of reviewing a request from Sun Farm Oysters, owned by Chris Warfel, to relocate a portion of his aquaculture lease in Trims’s Pond.
At the Shellfish Commission’s meeting on January 21, Warfel explained to the commissioners that a portion of his lease had a bottom that was too mucky and he wished to give up that area in exchange for a shallower, sandier area closer to the shore. The Commission’s initial concern was whether the move would take over an area popular among recreational clammers.
The Shellfish Commission doesn’t actually have any jurisdiction over the matter – that is the purview of the R.I. Coastal Resources Management Council, but they do have the right to weigh in on the matter by forwarding their thoughts to the Town Council, which can, in turn, forward those to the CRMC. Members of the public are also able to send their comments directly to the CRMC.
Comments are then considered by the CRMC in what is known as a preliminary determination meeting. Based on the meeting,
