Title 2, Title 2 and Forestry

(a) It is the duty of the director to inspect at least once each year during the growing season, all nurseries in the state of Rhode Island to ascertain whether they are infested with injurious insect pests or infected with injurious plant diseases. If upon the inspection of any …

Nursery inspection certificates issued by the director shall bear the date of issue and be valid until the fifteenth of September following their issuances. The director limits the expiration date whenever it is necessary to insure freedom from pests of the nursery stock so inspe…

Only certified nursery stock, stored or displayed under conditions which will maintain its vigor shall be offered for sale. Offering for sale of dead nursery stock or of stock so seriously weakened by drying, excessive heat or cold or any other condition that makes it unable to g…

(a) No person shall engage as a nursery worker in this state without first obtaining a nursery worker’s license from the department. The license expires on March 31 of each year, and application for renewal of license shall be made annually prior to that date. Applications for li…

The general assembly finds and declares: (a) That the preservation and expansion of agriculture are goals of the state; (b) That among economic activities, agriculture is uniquely dependent on the land; (c) That land use and water usage regulation and land taxation can have signi…

The purpose of this chapter is to foster communications between cities and towns and farmers on local actions that have a direct and significant impact on agricultural operations.

The director of the department of environmental management shall adopt such rules as may be necessary to effectuate the provisions of this chapter. The division of agriculture shall by March 1, 2006, establish a list by city and town of agricultural operations, as defined in § 2-…

Town and city councils shall provide by ordinance for the notification to farmers on the list established by the division of agriculture as provided for in § 2-23.1-3. Such ordinance shall designate the official or officials responsible for providing the notification and shall pr…

Matters subject to notification shall include the following actions to: (a) change the zoning and/or permitted uses of land used for farming; (b) designate or amend the designation of land used for farming in comprehensive plans or land use ordinances; (c) change the manner taxat…

Any farmer who receives a notification as provided for in § 2-23.1-4 may request in writing, within ten (10) business days after such notification, a work session to review the impact of the matter subject to notification on farming. The request shall be made to the official desi…

The provisions of §§ 2-23.1-4 and 2-23.1-6 shall not be deemed to impair, limit, or restrict the power of a public body of a city or town to take emergency actions of a temporary duration that are necessary to protect public health, safety, or welfare.

Except in instances of knowing and willful noncompliance with the provisions of this chapter, a failure to comply strictly with any of the requirements of this chapter shall not be deemed to affect or impair the validity of any action otherwise duly taken.

If any clause, sentence, paragraph, section, or part of this chapter shall be adjudged by any court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, that judgment shall not affect, impair, or invalidate the remainder of the chapter but shall be confined in its operation to the clause, se…

The purpose of this chapter is to provide for the preservation of agriculture by protecting persons engaged in agricultural operations on agricultural lands, the development rights to which have been conveyed against changes in rules, regulations and requirements that would impai…

As used in this chapter, the following terms and phrases shall have the meaning set forth in this section unless the context indicates a different meaning or intent: (1) “Agricultural land” means land conforming to the definition of agricultural land set forth in § 42-82-2. (2) “…

Unless explicitly curtailed, defined or restricted by an instrument conveying development rights to agricultural land, the right to engage in agricultural operations shall include all activities reasonably associated with and/or necessary to such agricultural operations that were…

All rules, regulations, ordinances and other requirements of the state and agencies, corporations, boards, commissions and political subdivisions of the state that are applicable to the conduct of agricultural operations allowable as of the date of the final execution of the inst…

The provisions of this chapter shall apply to all instruments conveying development rights in effect as of or after the effective date of this chapter [June 14, 2006].

If any provision of this chapter, or determination made under this chapter, or application of this chapter to any person, agency or circumstances is held invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remainder of this chapter and its application to any person, agency or circu…