Since the enactment of the Clean Air Act just a few months after the inaugural Earth Day in 1970, emissions reductions have led to dramatic improvements in the quality of the air Rhode Islanders breathe and resulted in lowering public health risks.

Between 1990 and 2018, national concentrations of air pollutants improved 82% for lead (3-month average), 74% for carbon monoxide, 89% for sulfur dioxide (1-hour), 57% for nitrogen dioxide (annual), and 21% for ozone (8-hour). Fine particle concentrations (24-hour) improved 39% and coarse particle concentrations (24-hour) improved 26%. (Source: EPA’s Status and Trends Report – 2018)

Rhode Island’s trends resemble national trends, which are decreasing. For example, with the removal of lead from gasoline, we no longer must monitor for lead in Rhode Island. For SO2, the most recent design value is only 4% of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) standard of 75 parts per billion (ppb). Rhode Island has been in attainment of the NAAQS for carbon monoxide since 1996. We have not exceeded the NAAQS for NO2 since 1980 and the PM2.5 design values have been below the NAAQS since we began monitoring in 1999.

Air quality has improved because manufacturing and power plants became cleaner using control technologies, due to the transition from coal to natural gas, and by the adoption of cleaner-burning and more fuel-efficient cars, light trucks, and SUVs. Air quality also has improved as manufacturing in Rhode Island transitioned from pioneer sectors such as textiles, jewelry, and silverware to clean manufacturing industries that have low actual emissions per unit of output.

Although significant improvements have been made since 1970 on a national and local front, more work needs to be done. Rhode Island is within the Ozone Transport Region (OTR), which is made up of states that have specific requirements for non-attainment of ozone. The biggest issue facing OTR states is that pollution does not stop at state borders and ozone pollution remains a regional transport problem. The Ocean State is located downwind of several industrial regions and sources such as electric generation units (coal- and gas-fired) in the Midwest, Pennsylvania, and parts of the South and heavily industrialized areas in northern New Jersey, New York City, and Connecticut. Also, the corridor of I-95 is a heavily trafficked roadway that significantly adds to pollution in the Northeast. The precursor pollutants from these sources, along with ozone and fine particle plumes, are carried to RI on prevailing westerly winds. While RI is currently designated as “attainment/unclassifiable” for ozone, it is a fact that RI still exceeds the ozone standard on some days.

Another challenge is that while air quality has improved, populations that live in urban areas, near major transit corridors, or near heavily industrialized areas face a much higher pollution burden based on their zip code. Examples are neighborhoods in Providence, Pawtucket, Woonsocket, Central Falls, and other cities as well communities located near I-95, the Port of Providence, or any other significant point source emitter. The pollution caused by sources contributes to Rhode Island consistently having higher asthma rates than the United States as a whole. Around 17% of RI adults and 15.5% of RI children are diagnosed with asthma at some point in their lifetime. These are the third- and fourth-highest asthma rates in the country, according to the Rhode Island Department of Health datasets.

Rhode Island’s most urgent challenge is the same as the country’s and the world’s: reducing greenhouse gases that result in global warming. Although emissions are decreasing, more significant reductions are needed.

Here, as well as elsewhere, climate change affects air quality and air quality affects climate change. The Office of Air Resources (OAR) primarily works toward mitigating the sources of emissions that are leading to the effects of climate change. These include power plants, transportation, and the heating sector, which are the three biggest sources of greenhouse gases.

In our daily work, we oversee the sources that emit the pollutants by developing regulations, issuing permits, and conducting inspections to ensure compliance with the regulations and permits. Furthermore, each year we conduct the greenhouse gas inventory to track the GHG emissions from sources within our state and use the inventory to measure our progress. We participate in regional and national organizations and programs such as the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management, Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, United States Climate Alliance, and low- and zero-emissions vehicles initiatives to create policies and programs that will decrease emissions.

Without resiliency adaptation, the increased rainfall intensity and re-occurrence of large precipitation events will likely overwhelm and damage stormwater and wastewater conveyance and treatment systems leading to increased discharges of pollutants and risks to public health and aquatic life.

Climate change is changing the way we design for flood control and stormwater management. Precipitation data used for engineering to design drainage, culverts, and stormwater management systems is evolving. State building and permitting design standards need to be updated to reflect this. Increased frequency of flooding has made management of flood plains more complex and critical. Increases in localized flooding have increased public complaints and the need for better coordination between State and local permitting.

Climate change has brought attention to the fact the Freshwater Wetlands serve a very important part in Climate change resiliency. By maintaining and restoring our natural systems (e.g floodplain and wetlands) on a watershed basis we not only protect one of the biggest carbon sinks in the natural environment (e.g. wetlands) but we also protect and enhance natures ability to absorb, retain, filter and treat precipitation in a sustainable way.

Sea level rise that causes rising groundwater and increased saltwater intrusion in the coastal areas has made the protection of groundwater drinking water supplies very challenging. Existing on-site wastewater disposal systems are being effected by rising groundwater effecting the treatment provided. Siting new systems in these areas for new or expanded development is not sustainable in sensitive areas.

For DEM’s UST Program, it’s ensuring the continued maintenance and proper operation of the advanced double-walled tank systems that replaced their earlier predecessors, and eliminating the few remaining single-walled systems that have been grandfathered in.

The most difficult challenge facing the Solid Waste and Recycling Program continues to be something almost entirely out of its control: the “throwaway culture” that pervades American life. Solid waste management is a universal issue that matters, or should matter, to everyone – yet ensuring fair and effective solid waste management, including robust recycling programs with high adherence rates, is very hard. DEM continues to strive for a more sustainable waste management model over the existing consumption / disposal model. Related challenges include proper recycling, particularly of construction and demolition (C&D) waste stream, and effectively separating / composting food wastes. The Program also continues to push sustainability thru a variety of "Producer Responsibility" measures for electronics, food waste, and others.

Funding uncertainty stemming from the COVID-19 public health crisis might rank as the biggest challenge facing the DEM Brownfields Program. With its industrial legacy, Rhode Island has many polluted sites that could be repurposed to transform neighborhoods and benefit great numbers of people, but only limited funds remain. The Brownfields Program is the classic win-win, for both environment and economic benefits. Historical preservation also is a winner on many of the projects, where mills and industrial heritage are revitalized and repurposed to meet community needs.

The relationship between climate change and solid waste management is circular. The production of goods and subsequent waste contributes to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, pollution, and general environmental degradation — in some cases drastically. By increasing our national recycling rate and cutting the amount of waste we generate by nominal percentages, we could slash emissions by tens of millions of metric tons of carbon equivalent. The process of extracting resources such as trees and minerals both depletes the resources and releases GHGs. The transportation of goods and materials throughout the stages of a product’s lifecycle – from extraction of materials to manufacture of the product to shipping finished goods to retailers / consumers and ultimately to transporting litter (especially packaging) to the landfill or recycling facilities – uses resources and releases GHGs. And finally, as some materials degrade in the anaerobic environment of a landfill, methane is released. Methane is a potent GHG, with as high as 84 times the impact on warming the climate than CO2.

The best approach is to prevent the need for disposal in the first place by reducing, reusing, and recreating products. Instead of destroying the materials, this mitigates climate impacts upstream. Working toward a much more sustainable materials management model versus merely the management of waste disposal – shrinking the carbon footprint of America’s consumer culture – is the crucial step that must be taken.

On the other hand, brownfields redevelopment is a hopeful key to revitalizing our urban centers and creating more livable environments for our citizens while also reducing GHGs. Applying “smart growth” land-use concepts and using clean transportation systems can mean saving more trees, forestland, open space, and reducing the negative impacts of commuting.

Over the last few decades, there have been multiple success stories of effective fisheries management measures improving stock sizes and statuses. One of these cases is Atlantic Striped bass in the 1990s. In the 1970s and 1980s, the striped bass population crashed due to overfishing and environmental issues. The collective effort of states to reduce harvest, and in some states initiate moratoriums, allowed for the population to rebuild by the late 1990s. This success story had a positive impact on both commercial and recreational fishing through the 2000s. Bluefish similarly were deemed to be at concerning population levels in the late 1990s, but after a nine-year fisheries management rebuilding plan, the stock was deemed rebuilt.

Atlantic sea scallops also experienced a similar story around the same time frame. Sea scallops were declared overfished in 1997 but using a suite of management tools thereafter – including closed areas, effort reduction, gear and crew restrictions – led to rebuilding the population by 2001. The rebuilding of sea scallops has been extremely important for southern New England coastal communities, including New Bedford and Point Judith, as sea scallops are one of, if not the largest, and the most valuabe species landed in these ports.

Recent success has been seen for several groundfish species as well, with many of their overfished or overfishing is occurring statues recently changed. These success stories highlight how fisheries management can be successful but does not suggest that rebuilding species results in sustained success. Striped bass represents an example of such a case, as the stock is currently overfished. Agencies must continue to evaluate management options that optimize sustainable harvest under changing ecosystems and that also strive to reduce the logistical hurdles for the industry.

The movement of many Mid-Atlantic species north in recent years as a result from climate change has led to these species being more plentiful in the Rhode Island region and accessible to commercial and recreational fishers. However, the quota management for these species has been largely unchanged, with the species distribution and quota allocation for states incongruous. This discrepancy has made the management and quota allocation amongst the Atlantic states extremely challenging and in need of modernization. As an example, most of the black sea bass quota is situated in the southern states, but a large segment of the population now resides in southern New England. The historical or static quota allocation with increased presence and interactions with northern states has led to Rhode Island fishermen to experience frequent closures in this fishery coupled with high rates of regulatory discards. This situation is damaging to our marine fisheries management system, and results in high discard mortality rates that could be avoided with appropriate quota allocation. While recent minor advancements have been made to restructure the management structures to address this issues, much more work is needed.

Another challenge we face is working to create more flexibility for commercial and recreational harvesters. Dynamic changes in fisheries management, often in response to changes in fish population sizes and access to the resource due to a suite of factors (e.g. climate change, harvest pressure, endangered species protection, renewable energy development), as well as a changing economy, makes it challenging for many fishers to make a living via seafood harvest. For many of these businesses to be sustainable, they must have a high degree of flexibility in order to take advantage of changes in quotas, market prices, weather-permitting sea days, and more. Many fisheries management plans are specific to individual fisheries and are restricted based on reporting and enforcement logistics. We have and continue to work toward building programs that increase economic opportunities, improve safety, reduce carbon footprints, remain enforceable, and most importantly, ensure sustainable fish populations. The winter fluke aggregate program, multi-state possession limit, and weekly summer flounder and black sea bass pilot aggregate program are all management efforts RIDEM has taken toward this effort. Additional initiatives that acknowledge sector or fishing differences, such as creating a standalone party-and-charter management regime, will continue to be priorities for the Division.

Perhaps the greatest challenge fisheries management has faced in recent times is managing fisheries in response to other new stressors. Changes in climate (see below), right whale population declines, and marine spatial planning endeavors have posed additional challenges to managing fisheries, all of which can have negative consequences on or may compete with fish harvest. As marine fish and invertebrate populations are negatively influenced by climate change (via warming waters, increased disease prevalence, ocean acidification, increased predation pressure, etc.) decline, there are few management measures available to counteract climate change directly, and often result in the need to reduce fishing effort to mitigate these effects. Not only does that leave harvesters bearing the burden of rebuilding the stocks despite these declines attributed to other sources, but it makes it challenging to predict with certainty that reducing harvest will combat these forces of climate on fish stocks. While preserving right whale populations is of critical importance to our nation, it will certainly have major impacts to commercial fishing industries and local economies. Thus, mitigating these adverse impacts to the fishing industry while making meaningful management measures to help improve right whale populations poses many challenges. Similarly, moving towards renewable energy alternatives is paramount for curtailing climate change, but we must do so carefully to minimize conflicts with other users of development areas (including commercial fishers) and prospective impacts it could have on marine species. Wind farm development has the potential to displace significant portions of the fishing industry, jeopardizing jobs and reducing local economies. As such, this new initiative for offshore wind development has required a great deal of new fisheries management work, including analytics, stakeholder engagement, and changes to regulation, to ensure successful coexistence of these entities.

Climate change has had pronounced impacts on the Rhode Island marine fish community. Fish abundance in our region has largely moved from a bottom dwelling species composition, such as winter flounder and American lobster, to species that live higher in the water column like butterfish. The latter species were much more common in the Mid-Atlantic than in RI waters 25 years ago but have now become residents of our waters. Species like winter flounder have declined by 98% in the last 30 years, and require creative, proactive management to sustain the remaining population.

Climate can influence species through several factors, including changes in ocean chemistry, currents, and ecosystem (e.g., predator-prey) dynamics. The largest climate change factor for these fish community shifts has been from water temperature. Warming waters of southern New England, including Narragansett Bay, have made the region unsuitable for many species that historically have resided within the area. For example, American lobster once inhabited various regions throughout the Bay, but with warming waters, this iconic species only resides in the colder, deeper waters of Narragansett Bay, and in deeper offshore waters. Species like black sea bass, striped sea robin and squid, which were far more common off the coasts of Virginia and North Carolina, are now more numerous in Rhode Island waters. With this species composition change has come the need for the fishing industry to adapt to the new environment. Not only has the target catch of Rhode Island harvesters changed, but these fishers now need to diversify their target species to make them more adaptable to future changes in species composition and abundance due to climate change. The Jonah crab fishery provides one example of this adaptability. For many years Jonah crab was simply a bycatch species in the American lobster fishery. However, with the decline in the American lobster stock (due to climate change) and increase in market price for crab meat, Jonah crab became a directed fishery that now supports many Rhode Island fishers, with Rhode Island being the second largest landing state of the Atlantic U.S. The ability for the lobster fishery to pivot to harvesting Jonah crab using their existing infrastructure (including traps, boat configuration, and expertise on the species) has allowed many of these businesses to continue operating.

Since 1970 DEM has protected almost 50,000 acres of land and invested over $50 million in Open Space Grants to municipalities, land trusts, and non-profit groups. DEM has partnered with The Nature Conservancy, The Audubon Society of Rhode Island, and dozens of land trusts and towns to protect land in all 39 municipalities – invaluable open space and agricultural land that cleans our air and water, provides recreational opportunities for all Rhode Islanders, and land to grow our food – as well as providing critical habitat and refuge for our wildlife. This includes protection of iconic places like Rocky Point in Warwick and Tillinghast Pond in West Greenwich, as well as dozens of open spaces enjoyed by people and wildlife alike.

By Decade:

• 1980: 5,482 acres
• 1990: 10,332 acres
• 2000: 8,538 acres
• 2010: 17,175 acres
• 2020: 8,159 acres

RI has also strongly supported development of recreational sites. In the past 30+ years, nearly $85 million in recreation grants has been awarded to more than 541 projects. These projects include playgrounds as well as stabilizing natural features and enhancing ecological habitats. Additionally, funds have been awarded to communities and local non-profits to support trail development throughout the state.

Land preservation programs are largely funded by State voter approved bond funds leveraged with grants from various Federal programs, and non-profit or local organizations. Grants are awarded through matched funding from communities and can be challenging for fiscally stressed budgets that may not have extra funding even for highly valued conservation efforts.

Farmland preservation efforts experience some different challenges. This is a highly complex program that has seen success protection the first generation of farms. As those farms begin the process of transferring to the next generation, however, ensuring that protected farmland remains in the hands of farmers will be our next big challenge.

The process of protecting property (appraisals, title reports, securing funding) is challenging for property owners who may be weighing offers from private developers. Rhode Islanders have consistently provided funding to protect land and provide recreational opportunities – but there are many wonderful sites that we were unable to preserve in the face of fast-moving private sales.

DEM’s Land Conservation and Acquisition Program incorporates climate change impact planning into its project considerations. For example, when prioritizing land for protection, the following are considered:

• Will this project help species migrate as habitats change in a warming climate?
• How will sea level rise impact this project?
• Will this project conserve our valuable forests, which provide carbon sequestration?

DEM works to conserve sensitive wildlife habitats and species, preserve forest health, increase the amount of food produced in the state, and provide outdoor recreational opportunities, all while balancing competing demands and addressing the significant threat of rising seas and a changing climate.

DEM conserves land using numerous strategies, such as:

• Acquire large, forested parcels that add acreage to existing management areas, that facilitate connectivity of habitats, that sequester carbon, and that create new conserved core forests of 500 acres or more. Acquire smaller, targeted parcels that can support critical habitat, such as riparian areas.
• Purchase open land/existing fields not suitable for commercial agriculture, or lands where the creation of grassland and shrubland habitats would benefit at-risk species, and manage those fields for habitat and hunting opportunities.
• Facilitate climate change mitigation by pursuing strategic coastal and riverine acquisitions, including adjacent upland areas, for salt marsh migration opportunities.
• Purchase land for recreational use: open space for hunting, fishing, and trail use; single points of access to water; and parcels for developed recreation such as swimming and camping.
• Purchase economically viable farmland for affordable transfer or lease to farmers.
• Support special projects, eg. purchasing land for DEM facilities to migrate inland.

Rhode Island is a small, dense state with significant development pressure, and tremendous use pressure. DEM purses a strategic approach that acknowledges a “best” use for each acquisition so as to ensure that all the goals of the Land Conservation and Acquisition Program are fulfilled.

DEM’s Division of Fish and Wildlife supports a long tradition of fishing, hunting, and outdoor recreation funded through fishing and hunting license fees matched by federal dollars. Engagement in shooting sports has increased resulting increased federal funding to states, via the Wildlife Restoration Program. Participation in fishing and hunting in Rhode Island has declined since the 1980s, resulting in decreased license and permit sales and consequently less revenue for the Division to leverage federal funds used to perform important wildlife and habitat conservation activities.

For DEM’s Freshwater Fisheries, it’s the increase of water temperatures from climate change affecting the composition of fish species throughout Rhode Island from cold water habitats to warm water habitats. In our rivers and streams, wild brook trout habitat is affected by water temperature fluctuations, development, dams and culverts which impede populations movements, and protection .

Statewide, invasive aquatic plants have increased in our streams, lakes and ponds as a result of warming temperatures, a prolonged drought season, residential and agricultural nutrient runoff and infestations from outside sources. This has resulted in native plants being choked out and a decrease in habitats for native fish, amphibians, reptiles, invertebrates and waterfowl. Toxic algae infestations of Cyanobacteria or blue-green algae have increased both in scope and duration impacting the health and safety of recreational boating and fishing constituents. These issues have mandated mitigation efforts of repeated mechanical and chemical freshwater treatments.

Accelerated habitat loss or conversion has also resulted in extensive deforestation and fragmentation of existing tracts of contiguous forested habitat in the state. Loss of habitat can threaten wildlife species, particularly interior forest species that are sensitive to disturbance and changes in habitat continuity, and lead to a direct loss of available food, shelter, and breeding habitat. Urban sprawl exacerbates these problems leading to continued fragmentation of larger tracts and disturbance of valuable core habitat areas.

Climate change has caused changes in the recurrance of wildlife migrations and loss of habitat. Warming temperatures have impacted shifts in the distribution and composition of plant and animal species, as well as habitat types, and caused potential habitat degradation from the spread of invasive species.

Warming waters have caused a transition in diadromous fish species returning to RI freshwaters. Atlantic salmon and smelt have declined over time, and in recent years there has been an increase of the blueback herring to alewife in the river herring composition. Fish monitoring results also show an increase in gizzard shad as their range moves north. Diadromous fish migrations have started earlier during the spring in recent years.

Climate change may bring sweeping ecological consequences to Rhode Island and we can expect that our amphibians and reptiles will be impacted in a big way. Amphibians (like frogs and salamanders) and reptiles (like snakes and turtles) are particularly sensitive to changes in their environment because they are ectotherms - their body temperature mirrors the temperature of the air, substrate, or water surrounding them. Reptiles and amphibians in Rhode Island and around the globe are already facing daunting conservation challenges from impacts like habitat loss, disease, and illegal collection. The unprecedented rapid shifts in climate and sea-level rise may only stress populations further, bringing them closer to the brink.

Sea level rise is of particular concern to one native Rhode Island turtle - the diamondback terrapin. Terrapins live along the Rhode Island coast in salt marshes and the brackish waters surrounding them. Salt marshes are critical habitat for terrapins serving as a place for foraging and over-wintering. Sea-level rise is already resulting in a rapid loss of salt marsh habitat in Rhode Island and the impacts to terrapins could be severe if no action is taken. This will also negatively impact Atlantic Coast flagship bird species such as Salt Marsh Sparrow and American Black Duck, that depend on salt marsh habitat throughout much of their life cycle.

RIDEM, in partnership with many partner organizations, is committed to mitigating the effects of climate change and to preserving native wildlife through protection of critical habitat, protection of clean air and water, law enforcement, environmental education, and a commitment to clean energy.