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One of the basic tenets of good governance is that policy choices should be illuminated by sound science. Despite the fundamental logic behind informed decision making, such an approach has not yet been undertaken for Rhode Island's most precious resource, Narragansett Bay. Although the Narragansett Bay Summit 2000 highlighted many of the issues that impact the health of the Bay, it all but ignored two of the most important policy issues that have been publicly debated over the past several years: the proposed dredging of the Providence River to maintain the channel to the Port of Providence and the development of a container port at Quonset Point/Davisville. Both projects have been considered independent of their impacts on the other valuable uses of the Bay. It's a little like two members of a family undertaking major home renovations without consulting each other.
      Choices must be made, but they should be based upon the best scientific information that is available. Narragansett Bay is one of the most extensively studied bodies of water on this planet, and yet there has been little use of that data in the controversy over the two proposals. A Narragansett Bay Use Plan would identify all the constituencies that have an interest in the Bay, evaluate their environmental and economic impacts, and recommend policies that minimize the potential for conflict. The plan would also identify the areas where further research is needed. Just who are the constituencies who have a stake in a Bay use plan? At least four major industries will have to be represented: fishing, recreational boating, coastal tourism, and marine transportation.
      What questions need to be asked about the existing uses of the Bay? The fishing industry is one of the most complex to analyze. The term "industry" embraces both recreational and commercial fisheries interests. Recreational fishermen dwarf commercial interests in number and influence. Many advocate the abolition of net fishing in Narragansett Bay, similar to a ban introduced in Florida several years ago. They argue that bottom trawling destroys Bay habitat; commercial fishermen respond that this is simply an allocation issue in which they are outnumbered. The Rhode Island General Assembly recently instituted a moratorium on new commercial fishing licenses and has given the Rhode Island Marine Fisheries Council a year to create a more effective license and regulation program. Many traditional finfish populations are at record lows, but it is difficult to ascertain if the cause is overfishing, habitat destruction, pollution, natural variation, or some combination of these factors. The lobster industry is under pressure to reduce the number of traps in the water, increase the minimum catch size, and prepare for the potential advance of the mysterious shell disease that had a catastrophic effect on the lobster fishery in western Long Island Sound last year. The number of quahog diggers has declined, and they face increasing competition from an aquaculture industry that is expanding and in search of new sites. The finfish, lobster, and quahog fisheries and the recreational fishing industry will be directly affected by either of the two port plans now being discussed.
      The recreational boating industry encompasses diverse manufacturers, retailers, marinas, and yacht clubs that depend on good water quality, easy public access, and freedom from conflicting navigational uses. Since the Bay was designated a federal no-discharge zone several years ago, the pollution from recreational vessels is caused primarily by toxic bottom paints, fueling accidents, and the discharge of unburned oil from two-cycle engines. Marinas are often located in shallow coves and estuaries that require maintenance dredging. Without an approved marine disposal site, marinas are or will soon be shallower and their capacity to accommodate boats will be reduced. The state's tradition of outstanding yacht design and construction, developed by the Herreshoff yard in Bristol, is maintained today by companies such as Hall, Hood, Goetz, Alden, and New England Boat Works. While these companies have helped to preserve Rhode Island's reputation as a center of excellence for large yachts, small boat manufacturers have prospered as well. Recreational boaters often transport their Lasers, Sunfish, and other small boats with cartop carriers and trailers to the Bay. These boaters need a place to launch their vessels and water clean enough to make the experience safe and enjoyable. There has not been a recent economic analysis of the recreational boating industry. A detailed look could result in a decision to invest more heavily in this area, with both financial support from the state and preferred status for recreational boaters when conflicts occur with other user groups.
      The coastal tourism industry is another significant yet hard-to-measure user of the Bay. Everyone in South County is well aware of the perils of beach traffic when Routes 1 and 1A turn into parking lots. What is more difficult to determine is how important the beaches are to Rhode Islanders and residents of nearby states. How much is spent in coastal communities because of the perceived quality of Bay waters? How dependent is the real estate industry on water access and water views for high prices? Other states have witnessed major conflicts when the "view-scape" of a coastal property owner is disturbed. For example, salmon aquaculture in Maine has raised the ire of summer colonists who dislike the view of the netpens floating in front of their homes. In South Carolina, coastal residents have objected to the high-intensity lighting used at a container terminal near Charleston. When does mere irritation become a measurable impact on property values? What is the cost to coastal tourism revenues of lost opportunities? Both Providence and East Providence have recently outlined plans to revitalize their urban waterfronts, but they must also address the need to relocate the existing oil terminals. In addition, most old industrial sites have significant soil contamination problems that will have to be analyzed and addressed before redevelopment can occur. That research should be undertaken as soon as possible.
      Finally, the marine transportation industry is one of the least understood and yet one of the most vital users of Narragansett Bay. Refined petroleum products account for most of the volume and value of the cargo. Four oil terminals in Providence and East Providence supply virtually all of the gasoline and fuel oil used in the state. Because the Port of Providence is located in a river channel with a high rate of sediment deposition, it requires dredging on a relatively frequent basis to keep the channel deep enough for large vessels to use. Since the river drains an area historically occupied by polluting industries, much of the sediment is contaminated. An early proposal to place those materials in a "borrow pit" off East Providence was met with fierce opposition by that city's government; they feared that the contaminated materials deposited in the pit, even if capped with clean fill, would affect their coastal water quality. A companion proposal to dump the relatively clean remaining materials in a deep hole adjacent to Hog Island was met with similar hostility from local governments and the fishing industry. Dumping the material on shore has been rejected as too costly and potentially dangerous to groundwater. The only remaining alternative is to dump further offshore, which is more expensive and certain to be resisted by both recreational and commercial fishermen. Should the existing channel be dredged at all? Most of the oil that enters the port today arrives in barges in coastwise transport from mid-Atlantic refineries. How long will the channel be safe for tugs and barges? Could a smaller dredging project keep the port operational while another long-term, solution is sought?
      The debate over the Providence River channel has been eclipsed in recent years by the state's proposal to build a container port at Quonset/Davisville. The reason to build a port there is simple: The United States government built a great facility when it filled hundreds of acres of the Bay to build a port and airfield. As the new owner, the state of Rhode Island should continue those uses and combine them with a mix of activities that maximizes the property's value. Unfortunately, the first development proposal seriously entertained by the state was enormously controversial, largely because it proposed filling more than 500 acres of the Bay to create space for the new terminal. Opposition to the plan was strong and well organized. It raised important issues relating to the transportation infrastructure needed for the project and questioned most of the promises of jobs and economic growth made by the proponents.
      Recently, a "Quonset II" container port proposal was presented, with more realistic projections of costs and benefits for a smaller facility. Still focused on containers alone, "Quonset Lite" would require filling between 38 and 114 acres of the Bay to create a terminal of about 170 acres. The state now recognizes that it will probably need to finance the environmental permitting and at least part of the dredging of the Quonset channel. Fortunately, it appears that the dredge material would be relatively clean and could be used beneficially, for construction aggregate and beach nourishment. The Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation has hired a consultant to develop a strategic plan for all of Quonset/Davisville, including the port, which should be completed in 2001. Should that plan also include an oil import facility in case Providence and East Providence decide to redevelop their urban waterfronts? Shouldn't the oil industry become more involved in such a plan?
      That brings us back to the need for a study of all Bay use/development issues, since virtually all the existing and proposed uses impact each other. Only a well-researched and integrated plan can avoid the political controversy and permit paralysis that has characterized the proposed Providence River dredging and the first generation Quonset megaport. Governor Almond has indicated that he will support a Bay development plan as long as it's developed simultaneously with the Quonset/Davisville master plan now underway. Save the Bay, the state's largest environmental group, has demonstrated its strong support for such an initiative on several occasions. How and where could a project like this be completed? The URI Coastal Institute on the Narragansett Bay Campus is now operational and is perfectly situated as a neutral forum to research, discuss, and debate these issues during the next year. Initially funded by a publicly supported bond issue, the Coastal Institute is a resource whose mission is to bridge the gap between university research and the problems of the "real world." Without a political axe to grind, and inclusive in its approach, the Coastal Institute has picked up where the Bay Summit left off to develop sound policy alternatives based on all we already know about the Bay. Any gaps in information should then receive high research priority from state, federal, and private funding sources. It's an opportunity we shouldn't miss.