Action Alert: No Conservation Funding In Rhode Island Green Bond!

/ , 0 Comments

Earlier this month, RI Governor McKee submitted his draft budget to the General Assembly, which includes the 2027 Green Bond. While there is funding for the Narragansett Bay Watershed Restoration Program and the Resilient Rhody Infrastructure Program, there is NO FUNDING for conservation, and only a small amount for Outdoor Recreation Grants.

There is NO funding for:

  • The Farmland Preservation Program, an investment to preserve the farmlands that support a thriving network of farmers.
  • The State Open Space Program, that is used to acquire and conserve lands of statewide interest and significance, including ecologically valuable land that enhances DEM’s management areas, parks, and important forest lands.
  • The Local Open Space Grant Program that land trusts and municipalities utilize to do local conservation work to support ecologically significant habitats and landscapes.
  • Only $1 Million for the Outdoor Recreation Grant Program, a critical source of matching support that helps local governments acquire and improve parks and recreational facilities.

All of these programs are almost out of money. Critical projects will grind to a halt without renewed funding in the 2027 Green Bond. 

The lack of investment in the conservation of our natural resources has real and immediate consequences. At a time when Rhode Island is facing accelerating climate impacts and a growing biodiversity crisis, these investments are not optional. They are among the most cost-effective strategies that we have at our disposal to protect our communities from flooding and other climate impacts, ensure Rhode Islanders have access to clean air and clean water, sustain healthy ecosystems and wildlife, and support community health and resilience for generations to come.

The RI Land Trust Council has promised to coordinate a comprehensive strategy to Make the Green Bond Greener with their non-profit partners and champions in the General Assembly, but they will need your help.

Please consider starting that process today by contacting your legislators and letting them know that you are concerned about the lack of funding for conservation and outdoor recreation in the Green Bond.

Not sure who to contact? Check out the Secretary of State’s Voter Information Center to identify your Senator and your Representative.

If you live in Charlestown, these are your local state legislators: State Representative Tina Spears – rep-​​spears@rilegislature.gov; State Senators Victoria Gu – sen-gu@rilegislature.gov and Elaine Morgan – ElaineForSenate@aol.com 

Not sure what to say? 

  • State your name and where you live.
  • Let your Senator and Representative know that in order to conserve RI’s most important open spaces, forests, and farms, and improve outdoor recreation opportunities, funding for conservation programs is urgently needed in the Green Bond.
  • Highlight your own experiences! Talk about a hiking trail that you frequent, a property you helped protect in your community, or how you’ve benefited by having access to the outdoors.
  • Urge your legislator to support efforts to Make the Green Bond Greener by including funding for the State and Local Open Space Programs, and the Farmland Preservation Program, and increasing funding for Outdoor Recreation Grants.
  • Thank your legislator for supporting efforts that improve the environment and natural resources in our state.


Thank you to the Rhode Island Land Trust Council, who shared this information with us and for providing leadership on this issue. If you want to support their work on this issue please consider making a gift to them.

The banner image is a photo by Frances Topping of one of the fields at Charlestown’s South Farm Preserve, one of the town’s open space properties purchased in part with funding from a past state open space bond.