Terri Cortvriend
New shoreline access law faces first legal challenge
The ink on Rhode Island’s newly signed shoreline access law barely dried before facing its first legal challenge. A group of coastal property owners are asking a federal court judge to stop state agencies from enforcing the public shoreline access delineation under a complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island […]
Senate panel passes shoreline access bill out of committee
After decades of disagreement over where to draw the line in the sand on public shoreline access, the chasm between opposing sides has narrowed to 4 feet. Literally. That’s the distance between the access line set under legislation approved by the Rhode Island House in April and a version voted out of the Senate Judiciary […]
Shoreline access bill clears House for a second year, without Senate companion
For the second consecutive year, the Rhode Island House of Representatives unanimously approved a bill clarifying what’s public vs. private along the shoreline. Also for a second time, the proposal by Rep. Terri Cortvriend, a Portsmouth Democrat, has no Senate companion legislation. But advocates for public shoreline access remain optimistic that the two chambers will […]
Lawmakers debate where to draw the line for shoreline access
Disagreement over where to draw the literal line in the sand may again prove a barrier to improving shoreline access. A proposal from Rep. Terri Cortvriend, a Portsmouth Democrat, would let people roam the beach, fish or swim as long as they don’t go more than 6 feet inland from where the seaweed collects, also […]