Rhode Island Salt Pond Special Area Management Plan – Case Study
To complement general statewide coastal management plans, the
State of Rhode Island on the northeast coast of the US also
develops Special Area Management Plans (SAMPs) for coastal areas
of the state, including the Salt Ponds region. The goal is to
enable multiple organizations to coordinate their actions at the
scale of coastal ecosystems to restore and protect ecosystem
qualities, and balance uses within the SAMP boundaries. The Salt
Pond SAMP operates as a partnership between state and local
governments to manage growth, mitigate the cumulative and
secondary impacts of development, and improve environmental
conditions in a series of lagoons (salt ponds) and their
watershed. This case study offers lessons on the value of
understanding the ecology of governance, weaving science into
the decision-making process, and institutionalizing watershed
management in collaborating institutions . Geography The Salt
Ponds region in the state of Rhode Islan