The Rhode Island Environmental Monitoring Collaborative, chaired by the Coastal Institute, released its annual report on December 18th.

The environmental monitoring activities described in this report are essential to state programs that protect public health, manage natural resources and their sustainable uses, and support important sectors of our economy including tourism, commercial fisheries, and aquaculture among others. Continued investment in environmental monitoring is especially needed to maintain Rhode Island’s ability to routinely gauge the health and availability of our state’s natural resources, which are important for continued economic growth.

RI’s executive authorities face eroding state and federal support for environmental monitoring, and the RIEMC projects an unmet need of $2,755,000, which is over $100,000 more than last year. Continuing cuts to environmental monitoring will diminish Rhode Island’s ability to protect public health, hamper efforts to adapt effectively to our changing environment and will undermine programs that routinely gauge the health and availability of our state’s natural resources, which are essential for continued economic growth.

Rhode Island has shown itself to be a national leader on environmental and climate change issues, and has strong voices at the federal, state, and local levels. Investing in long-term environmental monitoring is critical to making the best management decisions for our natural resources and coastal communities, and ensuring the state remains a leader on how best to protect and use our unique natural resources.

If you would like more information on the Rhode Island Environmental Monitoring Collaborative or this report, please contact Nicole Rohr at nrohr@uri.edu or visit the website at http://www.coordinationteam.ri.gov/envirocollab.htm