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CRMC Buffer Zone Permitting
Hanley is certified by RIDEM and CRMC to design and build within CRMC buffer zones, managing all permits and construction to meet environmental standards.
What is a CRMC regulated buffer zone?
CRMC buffer zones are designated areas along Rhode Island's coast to protect natural resources and manage environmental impact. The buffer zone itself is vegetated habitat that contains native species and is left mostly untouched, except for approved maintenance.
For properties within 200 feet of coastal features, the Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) mandates buffer zones to filter runoff, control erosion, and safeguard habitat.
How do I know if I need a buffer zone?
In most cases, if your property is bordering the ocean or tidal waters, and you are building, or making major modifications to a structure, you will be required to include planning for a buffer zone.
If you are doing any of the following items, then you will likely need to plan and install a buffer zone.
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• You are building a new structure.
• You want to improve your view of the ocean and require regulated work.
• You are demolishing and rebuilding a structure.
• You are expanding an existing structure beyond 50% of it's original footprint
• Making modifications to a septic system (dependent on several variables).​​​
How do I know where CRMC jurisdiction ends?
Properties within 200 feet of coastal features with the activity described above will typically require a buffer, but it’s not as simple as measuring from the high tide line.
According to the CRMC, coastal beaches are areas of loose, often unvegetated sediment regularly impacted by wave action. This zone stretches from the mean low water line to an upland rise, like the base of a dune, bluff, coastal protection structure, pilings, or even a building foundation. Sometimes, there are additional shoreline features further inland, such as dunes or bluffs. In these cases, the buffer is measured from the most inland edge of these features rather than just the beach.
What is the process to get a CRMC buffer zone approved and completed?
First, you will likely need a survey plan by a land surveyor licensed in Rhode Island.
After the survey is completed, a site plan will need to be completed by a CRMC Certified Invasive Manager (IM). The IM will also complete a number of written plans for installation, habitat protection, and maintenance.
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After this is completed, the firm or individual licensed as a CRMC Certified Invasive Manager will oversee site work, construction, and planting of up to 50% of the buffer zone. The same IM will then oversee maintenance, typically for a two year period. The IM must prove success of the first 50% before the remainder of the land may be transitioned to 100% buffer zone.​
Who do I need to hire to complete the buffer zone?
Typically, you will need to hire the following:
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â–¡ Licensed surveyor.
â–¡ CRMC Certified Invasive Manager (IM), usually a landscape designer or architect.
â–¡ A licensed arborist is often used for requesting to remove or prune trees.
â–¡ Some projects call for environmental engineers, septic engineers, and other professionals depending on the technical workload.
â–¡ Contractor for site work and installation, often requiring they are licensed in RI for pesticide and fertilizer application.
â–¡ Landscape maintenance company with horticultural knowledge, specifically with native plants, often the same contractor used for site work.
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At Hanley Landscape Design, we are specifically licensed for CRMC Buffer Zones and erosion projects, streamlining the entire process to work with one firm from start, to finish, even including maintenance.
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We handle the majority of these services in-house, including our own design staff certified by CRMC, licensed arborists, environmental experts, and licensed applicators. When additional consultants are required, we coordinate directly with a trusted network of firms that we regularly work with on CRMC-regulated projects, ensuring a smooth and efficient process from start to finish.
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Our service area for working with clients on projects regulated by CRMC stretches across Rhode Island, including Newport, Middletown, Portsmouth, Bristol, Barrington, Tiverton, Little Compton, Westerly, Narragansett, North Kingstown, Warwick, and Westerly.
