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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The DEM Office of Water Resources and the RI Rivers Council are coordinating to convene a meeting of local watershed organizations and others involved in protecting and restoring our water resources and aquatic habitats. The meeting will
be on January 10th at 3:00 in Room 300 at DEM in Providence. This will be the third such meeting, the last occurred in summer 2016. Since then a lot has happened at the state and local level in protecting our water resources.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The meeting will be an opportunity for DEM to share information on our activities and for watershed groups and others to express concerns you have about water resources and their management in RI. Please give some thought on your view
of state and local priorities and needs. If there is a specific topic you would like to discuss in detail, please let us know.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">You may note that since we last met:<o:p></o:p></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3">DEM and the Department of Administration completed “Water Quality 2035, RI Water Quality Management Plan” (October 2016) as a State Guide Plan update. This Plan describes goals, policies
and actions needed for effective water resources management. The Plan can be accessed at:
<a href="http://www.planning.ri.gov/documents/LU/water/2016/SGP_WQMP_Approved%2010.13.16.pdf">
http://www.planning.ri.gov/documents/LU/water/2016/SGP_WQMP_Approved%2010.13.16.pdf</a> ; and<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3">The Narragansett Bay Estuary Program released the “2017 State of Narragansett Bay and Its Watershed” Report, which can be found on the Estuary Program website at
<a href="http://nbep.org/">http://nbep.org/</a><o:p></o:p></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">An agenda will be sent out prior to the meeting. The meeting is planned to go about an hour and a half. After the meeting, all those interested are invited to reconvene in the same room for the RI Rivers Council monthly meeting.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I hope you can join us! If you have any questions, please contact me or Jenny Paquet (401-222-4700 x7263).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ernie Panciera<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Supervising Environmental Scientist<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Groundwater Protection and Nonpoint Source Program<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Office of Water Resources<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">RI Department of Environmental Management<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">235 Promenade Street, Providence, RI 02908<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">401-222-4700 x7603<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">ernie.panciera@ dem.ri.gov<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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