DEM awards $1.5M in open space grants

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THE SOUTH KINGSTOWN Land Trust has received a $400,000 open space grant to acquire a Conservation Easement over 45 acres of upland forest of Marchant Farm on the Prest property, pictured above. / COURTESY R.I. DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

PROVIDENCE – The R.I. Department of Environmental Management has awarded $1.5 million in grants to protect 322 acres of open space in Rhode Island, the department announced on Thursday.

Funds were distributed to six municipalities and organizations. The money for the projects came from the 2016 Green Economy Bond. Grants ranged from $32,500 to $400,000. Open space grants may cover up to half the cost of a project.

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The DEM has now distributed $4.7 million in open space grants in 2020.

“The open space grants … will contribute to the conservation of an incredible array of properties that delight families and support wildlife,” said DEM Director Janet Coit.  “This year, the grant criteria also included a category aimed at planning for impacts of climate change.”

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Funded projects in this round of grants:

  • $400,000 to Hopkinton Land Trust to acquire a Conservation Easement over 120 acres of fields and forest, abutting 481 acres of conservation land.
  • $400,000 to the South Kingstown Land Trust to acquire a Conservation Easement over 45 acres of upland forest of Marchant Farm, abutting 51 acres previously protected by the same landowner.
  • $214,500 to North Smithfield to acquire 114 acres of fields and forests abutting 215 acres of conservation land already owned by North Smithfield and Woonsocket known as Booth Pond. The land will be open to the public for recreational use.
  • $213,000 to Charlestown to acquire a 4.27-acre parcel on Ninigret Pond adjacent to the Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge. The DEM said the property has an existing canoe launch that will be maintained by the town for public boat access.
  • $202,500 to Bristol to acquire a Conservation Easement over 11 acres of fields and coastal shrubland on Mount Hope Bay. The easement will add green space to a conservation corridor of 233 acres.
  • $32,500 to The Nature Conservancy to acquire 28 acres in Hopkinton in TNC’s Canonchet Preserves Area.

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