Members of the Tiverton Town Council are endorsing legislation that would prohibit any commercial activity and development at the 296-acre Sapowet Marsh Management area  — the exact opposite path taken by their counterparts in Little Compton.

Tiverton's vote Monday to endorse legislation submitted by John G. Edwards came less than a week after members of the Little Compton Town Council took exactly the opposite stance, voting to work on a resolution opposing the state legislation. In so doing, they incurred the wrath of their counterparts in Tiverton, who essentially said on Monday that Little Compton officials should stay in their own lane.

If approved, the legislation -- H7060 submitted by Rep. John G. Edwards and a companion Senate bill, S2415 sponsored by Sen. Louis DiPalma and Sen. Walter Felag — would preserve Sapowet Marsh as open space for use solely as passive outdoor recreation and would end a plan to build a commercial oyster farm there.

The proposed bills are intended to block plans by Little Compton brothers Sean and Patrick Bowen, who applied several years ago for state permission to establish a small oyster farm just southwest of the Seapowet Bridge. The Coastal Resources Management Council has yet to make a final decision on their application.

Addressing Tiverton councilors prior to their vote Monday night, Rep. Edwards referred to the clamming, fishing and family recreational activities currently taking place at Sapowet Cove, the site of the proposed oyster farm. The area is unique in part because of its public access, he said, and one of the reasons it needs to be preserved is so families and children can continue to enjoy it.

Edwards’ son, Tiverton town councilor John G. Edwards V, also spoke Monday night, slamming what he called “highly irregular” actions by the Little Compton Town Council.

“They are not connected to Tiverton, they have nothing to do with the waters at Sapowet, yet they continue to come out and push this oyster farm on us … If Little Compton is so in favor of having this oyster farm, they should put it in their waters and actively seek to do so.”

Tiverton town council vice president Mike Burk concurred, saying he had recently emailed one of Little Compton’s town council members to express a similar point of view and to tell the council to “keep your hands out of our waters.”

Little Compton council: “It’s political”

At the Little Compton Town Council’s Feb. 8 meeting, councilor Patrick McHugh said the proposed state legislation is politics plain and simple.

“It looks to me this…is strictly a political thing and they want to block the Bowens. It’s been going on for years now.”

Sean Bowen addressed councilors at the meeting, saying they were reading the situation correctly. But Bowen said the legislation, designed to restrict commercial use, overlooks existing terrestrial commercial farming on about 50 acres at Sapowet Marsh that is leased out by RI DEM.

“DEM currently relies on leasing land for commercial aquaculture as part of their management for their management areas.”

Prior to the vote, Little Compton councilor Paul Golembeske outlined the reasons for his opposition to the state legislation, saying the Bowens’ plans fall under the definition of farming.

“This is politics, and words matter. They [opponents] are calling it development. I’m sorry, it’s farming. This is against a type of farming — that’s what this is really against.”