§ 46-31-9 - Committees.
SECTION 46-31-9
§ 46-31-9 Committees. – (a) The coordination team may appoint such subcommittees, task forces oradvisory committees to make recommendations to the team as it deems necessaryto carry out the provisions of this chapter. The coordination team shallannually review the work done by, and the need for, any such subcommittees,task forces, and/or advisory committees, and shall terminate the existence ofsuch entities that are deemed to have fulfilled their purpose and/or are nolonger deemed necessary by the team.
(b) A "scientific advisory committee" shall be established toadvise the coordination team on research priorities, technical matters, andbest management practices. The members of the scientific advisory committeeshall be appointed by the governor to serve for terms of two (2) years. Themembers of said committee shall consist of members of the academic community aswell as non-government organizations. The members of the scientific advisorycommittee shall receive no additional compensation for their services on thecommittee. The scientific advisory committee shall assist the coordination teamin:
(1) Ensuring that peer review is employed in the developmentof an environmental monitoring strategy;
(2) Providing the team with unbiased reviews of currentvalidated scientific knowledge relevant to their work; and
(3) Assisting with the review of existing or future plans.
The scientific advisory committee shall elect annually fromamong their members a chair and a vice-chair.
(c) A "public advisory committee" shall be established toadvise the coordination team on the development and implementation of thesystems-level plan, and the preparation of annual work plans and annual workplan budgets. The members of the public advisory committee shall be appointedby the governor for terms of two (2) years each. The members of said publicadvisory committee shall include, but not be limited to, representatives fromthe following groups: commercial fishers, recreational fishers, environmentaladvocacy organizations, and economic advocacy organizations. The members of thepublic advisory committee shall receive no additional compensation for theirservices to the committee. The public advisory committee shall elect annuallyfrom among their members a chair and a vice-chair.
(d) An "economic monitoring collaborative" shall beestablished for the purpose of developing and implementing a strategy for aneconomic monitoring program as specified by this section. The members of theeconomic monitoring collaborative shall be appointed by the governor to servefor two (2) years and shall include, but not be limited to, a representativefrom the Rhode Island economic policy council and a representative from theDepartment of Environment and Natural Resource Economics at the University ofRhode Island. From among the members, the governor shall appoint a chair.Members of the economic monitoring collaborative shall serve without additionalsalary but may be paid expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.The strategy for the economic monitoring program shall include baselines,protocols, guidelines, and quantifiable indicators for assessing the economichealth and performance of the water cluster. Economic indicators shall include,but not be limited to, the following aspects where or when appropriate and/oravailable:
(1) Total gross state product originating in the watercluster;
(2) Direct and indirect employment in the water cluster; and
(3) Public expenditures for infrastructure to support thewater cluster. The strategy for said economic monitoring program shall bedeveloped by the economic monitoring collaborative and adopted by thecoordination team within six (6) months of passage of this act; and shall bereviewed and updated every four (4) years, and included in the reportsdescribed in § 46-31-6( l )
(e) An "environmental monitoring collaborative" shall beestablished for the purpose of developing and implementing a strategy for anenvironmental monitoring program as specified by this section or as otherwiseprovided for by statute. The environmental monitoring collaborative shallinclude, but not be limited to, one representative from each of the following:Coastal Institute at the University of Rhode Island (URI) Bay Campus (Chair);coastal resources management council; department of environmental management;department of health; URI Watershed Watch; URI Graduate School of Oceanography;Narragansett Bay commission; statewide planning program (RIGIS) division; andURI Environmental Data Center. Members of the environmental monitoringcollaborative shall serve without additional salary but may be paid expensesincurred in the performance of their duties. The strategy for the environmentalmonitoring program shall be developed in consultation with the scientificadvisory committee and shall include baselines, protocols, guidelines, andquantifiable environmental indicators. Environmental indicators shall include,but not be limited to, the following aspects where appropriate for rivers andbays:
(1) Land cover or uses within the shoreline buffers;
(2) Water temperature, salinity, and pH;
(3) Concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorous, dissolvedoxygen, and bacteria;
(4) Water flows and circulation;
(5) Species assemblages and relative abundances of finfish,shellfish, and benthic macroinvertebrates; and
(6) Presence of aquatic nuisance species. The strategy forsaid monitoring program shall be developed by the environmental monitoringcollaborative and adopted by the coordination team within six (6) months ofpassage of this act; and shall be reviewed and updated every four (4) years,and included in the reports described in § 46-31-6( l ).
(f) The data collected as part of the economic andenvironmental monitoring programs shall be analyzed, synthesized, and madeaccessible to the governor, the general assembly, and the general public.
(g) The committees and collaboratives established pursuant tothis chapter shall remain in existence so long as the coordination team is inexistence. All committees shall expire and dissolve upon the expiration and/ordissolution of the coordination team.