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, the official text

S3344 2026 -- S 3344 ======== LC006564 ======== STATE OF RHODE ISLAND IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026 ____________ S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N 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 Introduced By: Senator Alana DiMario Date Introduced: June 03, 2026 Referred To: Placed on the Senate Consent Calendar 1 WHEREAS, Block Island, comprising the Town of New Shoreham, is a unique island 2 community in the State of Rhode Island, accessible only by ferry or air, and home to a significant 3 year-round resident population as well as hundreds of thousands of seasonal visitors and tourists 4 each year; and 5 WHEREAS, The island’s geographic isolation has prevented natural predation or 6 dispersal that would otherwise regulate deer numbers on the mainland; and 7 WHEREAS, The presence of deer on Block Island has led to correspondingly elevated 8 populations of ticks, the primary vector for Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and other 9 tick-borne illnesses that pose a serious and ongoing public health threat to island residents and 10 visitors; and 11 WHEREAS, The rates of tick-borne illness infection among residents of New Shoreham 12 are disproportionately high relative to other communities in Rhode Island, placing a significant 13 burden on affected individuals, their families, and the healthcare resources available to the island 14 community; and 15 WHEREAS, Effective management of deer populations has been demonstrated in peer- 16 reviewed scientific literature and in practice by other island and coastal communities to be one of 17 the most effective means of reducing the incidence of tick-borne illness in humans; and 18 WHEREAS, The Town of New Shoreham has expressed a need for regulatory tools and 19 state partnership to address the deer population in a manner that is safe, effective, humane, and 1 consistent with sound wildlife management principles; and 2 WHEREAS, The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) has 3 authority over wildlife management and the issuance of damage permits, including deer damage 4 permits, pursuant to the laws of the State of Rhode Island; and 5 WHEREAS, It is in the interest of the health, safety, and welfare of the people of Rhode 6 Island that the State partner with the Town of New Shoreham to devise a comprehensive, 7 evidence-based regulatory framework for addressing deer mitigation as a public health 8 intervention; now, therefore, be it 9 RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island hereby directs the Rhode 10 Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM), in consultation with the Town of New 11 Shoreham and the Rhode Island Department of Health, to develop a comprehensive regulatory 12 framework for the management and reduction of deer populations on Block Island for the purpose 13 of mitigating tick-borne illness; and be it further 14 RESOLVED, That such regulatory framework shall include, at minimum: 15 1. Proposed strategies for the reduction or elimination of tick-borne illness vectors, with 16 particular focus on deer population management, including but not limited to licensed hunting, 17 culling programs, fertility control, and exclusion methods appropriate to the island environment; 18 2. A comprehensive public safety plan governing any deer management activities 19 conducted under the framework, including protocols for coordination with local law enforcement, 20 notice to residents and visitors, and operational restrictions to ensure public safety; 21 3. A mechanism for the Town of New Shoreham to apply for, and for DEM to issue, a 22 wildlife damage permit or such other regulatory authorization as may be necessary to carry out 23 approved deer management activities, notwithstanding any other general restrictions on the 24 issuance of deer damage permits; 25 4. A method for regularly reporting progress and outcomes to the Department of 26 Environmental Management, the Department of Health, and the Rhode Island General Assembly; 27 5. An ongoing data collection program to track deer population trends, tick density and 28 species composition, and rates of tick-borne illness infection among island residents and visitors, 29 for distribution to the Department of Health and other relevant public health entities; and 30 6. A public education component to inform residents and visitors of tick-borne illness 31 risks and evidence-based personal prevention measures; and be it further 32 RESOLVED, That the Department of Environmental Management shall submit a report 33 of its findings, proposed regulatory framework, and recommended legislative or administrative 34 actions to the Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the President of the LC006564 - Page 2 of 3 1 Senate no later than six (6) months following the adoption of this resolution; and be it further 2 RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to 3 transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Director of the Rhode Island Department of 4 Environmental Management, the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health, and the 5 Town Council of the Town of New Shoreham. ======== LC006564 ======== LC006564 - Page 3 of 3