Westerly Land Trust Land also Threatened by New Rail Line

Below is a Topographic map showing the proposed rail lines, the Pawcatuck River, and two conservation areas owned by the Westerly Land Trust. Click on the map for a larger view.

The areas shaded in green are the Westerly Land Trust Preserves. The Grill’s Preserve is on the east side of the Pawcatuck (near Bradford) and the Riverwood Preserve is on the west side.

The proposed rail lines, depicted in a red crossed line, also include three new bridges on the Pawcatuck River. The existing rail tracks are shown as a grey crossed line.

The Grill’s Preserve is a 550-acre conservation area with over 2 and 1/2 miles of river frontage. There is an extensive trail system, with 6 miles of trails, including a cross country loop that is used by the Westerly High School and Middle School teams. The Preserve has diverse habitats including streams and ponds, freshwater marsh, wetland forest, upland forest, and sandy pitch pine and oak areas being managed for New England cottontail rabbit. Otter and bobcat have been seen in the Preserve. Thirteen species of rare plants have been identified, some living nowhere else in Rhode Island.

The Riverwood Preserve is part of the Westerly Land Trust’s Pawcatuck River Corridor Initiative. It consists of 148 acres of woodland, rocky ridges and fresh water wetlands adjacent to the Pawcatuck River and the Boy Scout Camp. There are extensive trails covering a wide variety of terrain.

The proposed path of the rail lines would cut through both of these preserves.

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