2023 -- H 6342
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LC002879
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S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
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H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N
CREATING A LEGISLATIVE STUDY COMMISSION TO EVALUATE AND PROVIDE
RECOMMENDATIONS ON P ROPER FOREST MANAGEM ENT FOR FIRE PREVENTION
Introduced By: Representatives Cotter, Chippendale, Casimiro, Spears, Kennedy,
Speakman, and Carson
Date Introduced: April 28, 2023
Referred To: House Environment and Natural Resources
WHEREAS, Actively managing forests can actually help restore ecosystem health, 1
improve habitat quality and reduce severe fire risks; and 2
WHEREAS, Accurately diagnosing and managing these forest health threats is the first 3
step to protecting forests from harm ensuring they will grow into the future; now, therefore be it 4
RESOLVED, That a special legislative commission be and the same is hereby created 5
consisting of twelve (12) members: two (2) of whom shall be members of the House of 6
Representatives, not more than one from the same political party, to be appointed by the Speaker 7
of the House; one of whom shall be the Director of the RI Department of Environmental 8
Management, or designee; one of whom shall be the Director of the Rhode Island Emergency 9
Management Agency, or designee; one of whom shall be the President of the Rhode Island State 10
Association of Fire Fighters, or designee; one of whom shall be a member of the Forest 11
Conservation Commission, to be appointed by the Director of the RI Department of 12
Environmental Management; one of whom shall be the Executive Director of the Rhode Island 13
Land Trust Council, or designee; one of whom shall be the President of the Rhode Island Forest 14
Conservators Organization, or designee; one of whom shall be the President of the Rhode Island 15
Association of Fire Chiefs, Inc., or designee; one of whom shall be the former Rhode Island Chief 16
of Forestry, or designee; one of whom shall be a member of the Rhode Island Association of 17
Conservation Districts, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; and one of whom shall be 18
the State Director of The Nature Conservancy (TNC), or designee. 19
LC002879 - Page 2 of 3
In lieu of any appointment of a member of the legislature to a legislative study 1
commission, or any commission created by a General Assembly resolution, the appointing 2
authority may appoint a member of the general public to serve in lieu of a legislator; provided 3
that, the majority leader or the minority leader of the political party which is entitled to the 4
appointment consents to the appointment of the member of the general public. 5
The purpose of said commission shall be to find solutions for proper forest management 6
for fire prevention in Rhode Island. 7
The membership of said commission shall receive no compensation for their services. 8
All departments and agencies of the state shall furnish such advice and information, 9
documentary and otherwise, to said commission and its agents as is deemed necessary or 10
desirable by the commission to facilitate the purposes of this resolution. 11
The Speaker of the House is hereby authorized and directed to provide suitable quarters 12
for said commission; and be it further 13
RESOLVED, That the commission shall report its findings and recommendations to the 14
House of Representatives no later than February 28, 2024, and said commission shall expire on 15
April 30, 2024. 16
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LC002879
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LC002879 - Page 3 of 3
EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N
CREATING A LEGISLATIVE STUDY COMMISSION TO EVALUATE AND PROVIDE
RECOMMENDATIONS ON P ROPER FOREST MANAGEM ENT FOR FIRE PREVENTION
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This resolution would create a twelve (12) member legislative commission whose 1
purpose it would be to evaluate and provide recommendations on proper forest management for 2
fire prevention, and who would report back to the House no later than February 28, 2024, and 3
whose life would expire on April 30, 2024. 4
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LC002879
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