Watershed Councils designated by the Rivers Council are empowered to testify before local and state hearings on issues affecting their watershed and are eligible for state grants through the Rivers Council.
Section 46-28-7 of the Rivers Council statute states that the Council shall “promulgate regulations and procedures as may be needed to issue grants and approve watershed action plans, including rules requiring notice by state or city and town agencies to local watershed councils regarding proposed actions pertaining to projects, developments and activities located wholly or partially within the watershed represented by the local watershed council.”
The Rivers Council promulgated regulations in 2005 addressing the council’s grant making process and the notice rule to watershed councils by state and municipal officials. To implement the rule, watershed councils need to make a formal request for notice to a respective governing body.
At the December 2019 Rivers Council meeting Jenny Paquet, MCP, Senior Environmental Planner for RIDEM Office of Water Resources presented on “How to Receive Notification of Proposed Actions in Your Watershed.” View her presentation (PDF). Download the notification request letter template (Word document docx), view the table of actions and timeframes (PDF).
(Grant & Notification Regulations)
(Designation Criteria)
Organizational Assessment and Capacity Building
The Rivers Council in partnership with the RI Land Trust Council has developed an organizational assessment tool.