Date of Award
2025
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Marine Affairs
Department
Marine Affairs
First Advisor
Jesse Reiblich
Abstract
There are forty-two fire districts in the coastal state of Rhode Island, nine of which are now archaically named, as they no longer provide firefighting services nor have any firefighting responsibilities. Weekapaug, Watch Hill, and Bonnet Shores fire districts are three coastal fire districts that are uninvolved with fire suppression generally, aside from the occasional bonfire permit or fireworks show. Fire districts are quasi-public entities with taxing authorities and land ownership capabilities that act as the “keepers” of many miles of pristine coastline, instead of strictly as fire departments. The actions of these fire districts often conflict with coastal access in Rhode Island where the right to access the shore is guaranteed by the state’s constitution and the 2023 Shoreline Access Law. Specifically, Rhode Islanders are blocked from accessing the beaches within these fire districts. This thesis reviews laws, legal cases, legal instruments, law reviews, and other relevant literature to explain what fire districts were created to do, describe how they impact access to Rhode Island’s beaches, and provide policy recommendations to limit their influence on coastal access in Rhode Island. Watch Hill, Weekapaug, and Bonnet Shores fire districts have similar authorities as towns or villages, and because of their landownership capabilities, they control and sometimes block coastal access in potentially legally dubious ways. To address the restriction of coastal access by Rhode Island fire districts, this study recommends that the proper authorities revoke fire district charters, use eminent domain to purchase land from fire districts, and prioritize vertical shoreline access legislation.
Recommended Citation
Longo, Annie, "FIRE DISTRICT IMPACTS ON COASTAL ACCESS IN RHODE ISLAND" (2025). Open Access Master's Theses. Paper 2689.
https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/theses/2689