Home Economy Government 70 acres of Portsmouth cove placed under DEM protection

70 acres of Portsmouth cove placed under DEM protection

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PBN Staff

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03/03/2026

Gull Cove — THE R.I. DEPARTMENT of Environmental Management is conserving 70 acres of land at Gull Cove in Portsmouth. / COURTESY R.I. DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT/LAUREN MILLER-DONNELLY

PORTSMOUTH – The R.I. Department of Environmental Management is conserving 70 acres of land at Gull Cove thanks to $880,000 in settlement funding from a barge oil spill in nearby Massachusetts in April 2003, the agency announced Tuesday. DEM will now manage the entire north shore of the cove, including a 16.75-acre parcel recently transferred from the R.I. Department

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PORTSMOUTH – The R.I. Department of Environmental Management is conserving 70 acres of land at Gull Cove thanks to $880,000 in settlement funding from a barge oil spill in nearby Massachusetts in April 2003, the agency announced Tuesday. DEM will now manage the entire north shore of the cove, including a 16.75-acre parcel recently transferred from the R.I. Department of Transportation. The conservation of the north shore, DEM said in its news release, will preserve the existing wetland and an upland coastal buffer that supports inland coastal habitat migration as sea levels continue to rise due to climate change. The acquisition will also jumpstart efforts to restore the marshland in the cove and enhance the surrounding uplands to facilitate marsh migration and improve marsh health, DEM said. Design work for this restoration is already underway, with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The property will be managed by DEM’s Division of Fish & Wildlife for habitat management and outdoor recreation. DEM Director Terry Gray said preserving the stretch of coastline with so-called Bouchard B-120 funds – the name of the barge that ran aground in Buzzards Bay in 2003 – marks a significant conservation milestone and a lasting victory for the people of Rhode Island. “Gull Cove is a true state treasure; a thriving coastal ecosystem that provides critical bird habitat while offering opportunities for shellfishing, paddling, and birdwatching,” Gray said. “The conservation of this parcel provided a unique opportunity to add to the smaller DEM property already at Gull Cove, allowing for even better coastal access opportunities in Portsmouth while further enhancing the area’s wildlife habitat.” In April 2003, an estimated 98,000 gallons of oil spilled into the coastal waters off of Massachusetts and Rhode Island after a tank barge, Bouchard 120, hit a bedrock ledge in Buzzards Bay off the coast of Cape Cod. Nearly 200 miles of shoreline affected by the oil, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.