Tear Down That (Sea)Wall

In 2023, Quidnessett Country Club in North Kingstown, R.I., built an illegal seawall to protect its 14th hole from coastal erosion. The board of Rhode Island’s coastal regulatory agency (CRMC) ordered the club to take the wall down, but Quidnessett has yet to comply. The battle has exposed inefficiencies of CRMC’s board and its vulnerability to political pressure. ecoRI News reporter and Blab Lab Host Rob Smith speaks with Save The Bay director of advocacy Jed Thorpe about his organization’s intervention in the country club dust-up and Save The Bay’s efforts for legislative reform to replace CRMC’s politically appointed board.