Section 250-RICR-100-00-9.11 - Special EventsA. Arcadia, Big River, Diamond Hill and George Washington Management Areas 1. Special Event Permits are required for any group of seventy-five (75) participants or more and shall not exceed a total of one hundred fifty (150) participants. No more than four (4) Special Event Permits shall be issued during the period designated in § 9.11 of this Part.2. Permits will be issued during the period of July 1st through September 30th only.3. Exemptions from the limitation on the maximum participants and/or time of year restrictions may be granted by the RIDEM for educational workshops, use of picnic/beach areas, and use of RIDEM boat launching ramps for fishing tournaments.4. Applications to hold a Special Event must be submitted to the Management Areas Stewardship Committee for review and approval care of the State's current reservation system. Applications must be submitted from January 1st to the last day of February of the year that the event will take place. Applications will be reviewed by RIDEM to determine if they meet the requirements. If necessary, permit applications will be selected by a lottery drawing that will be held on the first (1st) Monday in March at 1200 hours (noon). In the event that all the allotted Special Event Permits are not filled by the first (1st) Monday in August, remaining permits will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis. No more than two (2) Special Event Permits will be issued per year per individual recreation use type to allow fair access to other user groups.5. RIDEM, at its sole discretion, will determine the suitability of a proposed event at the Management Area requested and may refuse permission if the event threatens the integrity of the Management Area's natural resources, including but not limited to: soil, water, fish, wildlife, rare plants, and RIDEM's responsibility to provide for availability to the public for multiple use of the area.6. RIDEM at its sole discretion can impose restrictions or refuse to permit an event during periods of high or extreme fire danger or where environmental, public health, and/or safety concerns so dictate.7. Special Event sponsors shall be responsible for the following in running an event: a. Paying for adequate RIDEM Law Enforcement personnel during events.b. Notifying and obtaining written permission for said use from all local towns/cities affected by the event. Written permission must be submitted before the permit will be issued.c. Notifying State and local police, fire, and rescue of the event.d. All event sponsors shall provide a liability insurance policy of one million dollars ($1,000,000.00) and must sign an indemnification of the State and all its employees. Event sponsors shall be required to post a bond payable to RIDEM in an amount RIDEM determines to be necessary and appropriate to reimburse RIDEM for any damages incurred as a result of the event and which has not been repaired by the event sponsors within seven (7) days of the closing of the event. The event sponsors shall also be required to execute an agreement in which the sponsors agree to be personally liable, both jointly and severally, for any damage as determined by RIDEM to have resulted from the permitted event over and above the amount of the bond.e. All participants must sign a liability waiver and release for the State.f. Event sponsors shall be responsible for repairing any damage to the Management Area caused by the event in the time designated in the permit.g. Event sponsors are responsible for removing all signs, markers, and trash from the Management Area caused by the event within seven (7) day of its conclusion.h. Event sponsors shall provide to RIDEM an estimation of the number of spectators that can be expected for an event.i. RIDEM reserves the right to include additional special conditions on any permitted event if conditions so warrant.j. These Regulations do not apply to the use of areas under the jurisdiction of the RIDEM's Division of Parks and Recreation.250 R.I. Code R. 250-RICR-100-00-9.11
Adopted effective 6/28/2023
Amended effective 5/22/2024