PROVIDENCE – The R.I. Department of Environmental Management announced it is seeking applications for $2.5 million in open-space grants.
Cities and towns, land trusts and nonprofit conservation organizations seeking support for local environmental preservation projects may submit applications through Sept. 26.
An individual grant may cover as much as 50 percent of the cost of land acquisition, to a maximum of $250,000. The money will come from the Rhode Island Open Space Bond Authorizations of 2000 and 2004, according to DEM Director W. Michael Sullivan.
“Project emphasis should be placed on the preservation of land that provides linkages between or expansions of existing preserved lands,” he wrote in a July 1 letter to potential applicants. Applications submitted will be reviewed by an advisory committee, Sullivan added, and “the highest-scoring grant applications will be forwarded to the R.I. Natural Heritage Preservation Commission for approval.”
“Preservation of open space is vital to safeguarding our quality of life in Rhode Island,” Gov. Donald L. Carcieri said in a statement. “Our foresight in funding these grants is keeping important open spaces for ourselves and our descendents to enjoy.”
Additional information about grants from the R.I. Department of Environmental Management, Division of Planning and Development – including program rules, application guidelines and scoring criteria for the natural preservation grants – is available at www.dem.ri.gov or by calling Lisa Primiano, supervisor of the division’s land acquisition and conservation program, at 222-2776, ext. 4307.
