SENATE RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT TO WORK WITH THE TOWN OF NEW SHOREHAM TO DEVELOP A REGULATORY FRAMEWORK TO REDUCE TICK-BORNE ILLNESS ON BLOCK ISLAND

This Senate resolution directs the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management to partner with the Town of New Shoreham and the Department of Health to create a regulatory plan for managing deer populations on Block Island. The goal is to reduce the high rates of tick-borne illnesses affecting residents and visitors by implementing strategies such as licensed hunting, culling, or fertility control. The resulting framework must include safety protocols, a permitting process for deer management, data collection on deer and tick trends, and public education on disease prevention. The department is required to submit a report with its proposed plan and recommendations to state officials within six months of the resolution's adoption.