CCA Blog and Mail Box

When: Saturdays, June 29, July 13, July 27, August 3, and August 17, at 10:00 am
Where: Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge
Cost: Program is free
Registration: Please pre-register as space is limited
Hands-on experience that introduces children and their families to a variety of aquatic creatures living in the salt ponds.

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Where: Kinney Bungalow, 505 Point Judith Rd., Narragansett, RI 02882
When: Thursday, July 11 from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm
What: Silent Auction, Food and Drink, and a Sunset View
There are items for all interests, from a guided kayaking tour, to local gift cards, art, theatre tickets, and more! Additional items are added to the auction website weekly, so keep checking back.

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When: Every Friday – June 21 to August 30 from 9 am to 12:30 pm
Where: On the grounds of the Church of the Holy Spirit, 4150 Old Post Rd,. Charlestown (map in post)

Local fresh produce, fruits, honey, shellfish, specially prepared dishes, baked goods, and more.

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Charlestown’s State Senator Victoria Gu along with Town Planners and Planning Commissions statewide worked to craft an Accessory Dwelling Unit Law that allowed ADUs while at the same time worked to protect the Coastal Ponds and other sensitive environmental areas from excessive nitrogen pollution. Senator Gu needs to hear from constituents to urge her to push for her bill (S-2630) that allows ADUs while still protecting groundwater and drinking water, rather than the House bill which represents a very real threat to the Coastal Ponds and groundwater throughout the town.

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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is actively investigating the former Charlestown Naval Auxiliary Landing Field (CNALF) under the Defense Environmental Restoration Program as a Formerly Used Defense Site (FUDS). CNALF is currently Ninigret Park and Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge in Charlestown. A Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) is one of many methods USACE may use to facilitate public participation. Details on how to be part of the RAB in post.

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If passed, the legislation (S2928/H8148) would replace the current structure of politically appointed board members with a state department that would allow current CRMC staff, which has the necessary expertise on coastal issues, to make decisions in the best interest of Rhode Islanders and the Ocean State’s coastal resources.

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Only 254 People Voted – Thank You To Everyone Who Did Vote!

• Charlestown’s 2025 Budget passed with 183 in favor of the budget and 71 against.
• The number of voters was down by over 1,000 from previous years’ numbers because of limited outreach.
• The tax rate is estimated to be $5.78 per thousand dollars of valuation

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In previous years the Town Council sent a mail ballot via the U.S. Postal Service to each of the town’s registered voters to make voting on the budget better reflect the will of our voters. However, the town council has discontinued this citizen outreach, and significant reduction in participation is expected. Expenditures are budgeted to increase by 6.17%, even though the town will not undertake a large construction project.

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Francis C. Carter Memorial Preserve is known for a few things – from holding the title of the second largest nature preserve in Rhode Island to sweeping landscapes created by glaciers. It may be best known, however, for having some of the best hiking trails in Rhode Island. Seven hiking trails meander through the lush 1,100-acre nature park.

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When: Saturday, June 8 from 12 p.m to 4 p.m
Where: Ninigret Park
What: Dancing – Music – Shopping – Food
Tomaquag Museum is Rhode Island’s only museum entirely dedicated to telling the story of the Indigenous peoples of this land.

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A fragile stretch of sand runs nearly 2 miles between Spray Rock Road to the Breachway in Charlestown, but thoughtless motorists, empowered by commercials that glamorize Jeeps pulverizing non-pavement space, treat the Quonochontaug Sand Trail, and the dunes and beach that run parallel with it, as their private racetrack. Full story this week at ecoRI News.

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Parade on Old Post Road on Sunday
When: Sunday, May 25 at 1 p.m.
Where: Starts at the South Kingstown line and ends at Charlestown Liquor Store

Parade in Carolina on Monday
When: Monday, May 26 at 11:00 a.m.
Where: Starts at the Richmond-Carolina Fire Station and ends at St. Mary’s Church in Charlestown.

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When: Friday, May 17 at 9:00 am
Where: Blue Shutters Beach in Charlestown
What: Release of two seals back to the wild
Gnocchi is young male gray seal and Ditalini is a juvenile male harp seal.
Please remember that seal release dates and times may change without notice.

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The Friends of the National Wildlife Refuges of Rhode Island announce their 24th Annual Amateur Photo Competition to highlight the beauty of the five refuges that comprise the Rhode Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex. Amateur photographers are encouraged to enter their existing refuge color photos or to take new ones. Photos and a $10 entry fee per photo must be received by September 5, 2024.

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Frances Topping was at Ninigret Park on May 12 and from a distance saw a whitish haze on the rough broken parking area next to the Naval Air Memorial. On closer inspection, this turned out to be a large area covered with native Bluet flowers blooming in an otherwise very difficult area. They are a treat to see! Bluets are delicate, low-growing plants, mostly found in grassy areas so seeing them here was unexpected but a joy to behold.

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We believe long-term bonding should be placed on general election ballots whenever possible. What these data show in stunning detail is that more citizens vote in general elections and the results are therefore different. In November 2018—a general election—71% of voters in Charlestown, 62% of voters in Richmond, and 64% of voters in Hopkinton voted to have the state allocate $250 million of their tax dollars on new school buildings. But, in 2024, a majority of CHARIHO voters refused to accept this money from the state, leaving their share of the money to go to other projects.

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On May 9, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management announced the award of $2.6 million in grants to help communities and local conservation organizations protect valuable green space throughout the state.  Eleven projects will receive matching grants through DEM’s competitive Local Open Space Grant Program to protect 383 acres across Rhode Island, but Charlestown will not be one of those communities. Since the 2022 election, land conservation has been blocked in Charlestown and no open space grant was submitted to DEM for the 2024 grant round.

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Rhode Island’s seven native turtle species are on the move to find nests and resources after spending the winter in brumation, their own version of hibernation. When turtles leave their safe winter homes under mud or leaf litter, their search for resources and nesting spots often takes them across dangerous roadways. Read the post to learn how you can help turtles.

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When: Friday, May 10 at 9:00 am
Where: Blue Shutters Beach in Charlestown
What: Release of two seals back to the wild
Rotini is a female harbor seal yearling and Manicotti is a female gray seal.
Please remember that seal release dates and times may change without notice.

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Dambo’s message is that the world is running out of resources. His trolls lure people out into the woods where there is soil, sun, water, and trees, and it is through the “wind and the whispers of nature” that his trolls speak. This message is especially appropriate for Charlestown which has amazing natural resources of national and statewide importance that are being negatively impacted by overdevelopment, but it’s a message that the Charlestown Town Council majority is not likely to hear or understand.

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It’s Not Whether You Stock, but Where. Turek says he has no objection to hatchery fish being stocked in waterbodies that don’t have native trout already living there. Corayer believes the focus of trout management in Rhode Island should shift from recreation to conservation. “I firmly believe that our state would be far better served by teaching people about the beauty of our natural surroundings and the potential to catch a gorgeous brook trout in the woods or along the side of the road as opposed to just dumping fish in a pond and letting them succumb to predation and starvation.”

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Natural Resources Conservation Service in Rhode Island announces a third application sign up period for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program and the Regional Conservation Partnership Program RI Forest Health Works. Apply by May 17, 2024, to be eligible for the third round of fiscal year 2024 funding.

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Insects and their importance to migratory birds is the focus of this year’s World Migratory Bird Day on May 11. Charlestown is part of the Atlantic Flyway, one of the main routes for both the north and south bird migrations. Our town is home to the Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge, which was established to protect migratory birds. The numbers of birds migrating through Charlestown is significant.

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When: Saturday, May 11 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where: Casey Farm, 2325 Boston Neck Road, Saunderstown RI
Find spring ephemerals and early blooming perennials and shrubs, perfectly timed for early pollinators and nesting birds, along with ferns and grasses.

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Claims of “misinformation” are sometimes misinformation in themselves and that is the case with the claim that CCA is spreading misinformation about a “stadium”. A search this week of our entire website revealed that in over 1,000 posts and pages, 1,400 comments, and 1,600 media files there is only one instance of the word “stadium” and that is in a 2012 letter from the National Park Service.

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A URI-led team of researchers has found direct evidence of a species – the American woodcock, a migratory shorebird from eastern and central North America – that overlaps periods of migration and reproduction, a rare breeding strategy known as “itinerant breeding.”

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When: Monday, April 15 at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Charlestown Elementary School, 363 Carolina Back Road.
What: The Town Council will discuss the new Ninigret Park Master Plan
Link to the full plan and more in post.

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This year Charlestown voters will elect the individuals who will lead our town into the future, and it matters who is elected to town government. Much of what has been created and protected is at risk if people who cherish Charlestown’s beautiful, natural character do not stand up and volunteer to guide our town. Needed are individuals who understand that protecting our environment and preserving our natural resources are critical to maintaining our quality of life and our low tax rate.

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The Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife is seeking the public’s help to identify Bald Eagle nests throughout the state. With your help, they can keep the nesting database up to date to better inform conservation in Rhode Island. Contact email to report your nest sightings is in this post.

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DEM is reminding Rhode Islanders to remain vigilant for invasive species as their lifecycles progress and they emerge during the spring. The Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) and Winter Moth are two invasive species that remain the focus of DEM’s Division of Agriculture and Forest Environment’s Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey (CAPS) and Forest Health Program efforts to monitor and limit the spread of pests which represent a tangible threat to Rhode Island’s agriculture and forests.

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The commission studying forest management and fire prevention in Rhode Island’s forests has released its final report, recommending that the state allocate considerably more resources to mitigating the risk of wildfires. With forestry staff at the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management cut by 75% since 1990, the agency has been able to manage just 1% of the state’s forests.

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Thomas Danbo will soon direct the installation of two trolls in Ninigret Park. Mr. Danbo’s Trolls are intended to have a message of environmental stewardship. The Trolls have the full support of our Town Council, but this is a Town Council that doesn’t always make choices that protect the environment.

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When: Wednesday, March 27 at 6 p.m.
Where: Cross Mills Public Library, 4417 Old Post Road, Charlestown
What: “A Small Town’s Brush with Nuclear Power”, presentation by Journalist Brian Mitchell who was hired as the first editor of the Chariho Times in 1977, when plans to build a nuclear power plant in Charlestown were well underway. Brian will recount the story of reporting on this controversial proposal.

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With the passing of Charlestown Town Councilor Grace Klinger in January, there was an open seat on the Town Council. By Charter, because there was less than a year to the next election, it was up to the Town Council to decide how they wanted to fill the seat. The Council chose to fill the position by appointment, accepted applications until March 1, and made their selection on March 11.

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The Town just released the final Ninigret Park Master Plan. Missing from the final version, dated March 4, 2024, is the page detailing the $33 Million cost to execute the plan. These cost estimates are available in the December 22, 2023, draft of the Ninigret Park Master Plan that was reviewed by the Parks and Recreation Commission. We have included the missing cost estimates in this post.

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UPDATE: This cleanup was canceled and has been replaced with a clean-up at Schoolhouse Pond Preserve also at 9:00 a.m.
When: Saturday, March 16, at 9:00 a.m.
Where: Meet at the Preserve parking lot on Railroad Ave. in Carolina
What: Join with the Charlestown Conservation Commission to help them maintain this beautiful property.
Patricia Sprague Forest Preserve is owned by the Town of Charlestown with a conservation easement held by the Charlestown Land Trust.

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The Corps advised that the town coordinate with the Army Corps throughout the Ninigret Park planning processes, and should either of the troll statues require any soil disturbance below the ground surface, the Town should perform that work with full-time oversight by a munitions professional and perform soil testing to properly characterize and manage the disturbed soil.

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The Army Corps is investigating areas of Ninigret Park and the National Wildlife Refuge to understand the nature and extent of chemicals of potential concern and munitions and explosives of concern relating to former Department of Defense operations at the Charlestown Naval Auxiliary Landing Field. Video of meeting in the post.

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Rhode Island’s shortage of housing that is affordable is blamed on decades of insufficient home construction. While that may be true generally for the state, home construction has proceeded apace in Charlestown. Between 1970 and 2020, Rhode Island’s population grew from 946,725 to 1,097,379 – a 15.9% increase in population. In those same decades, Charlestown’s population grew from 2,863 to 7,997 – a 179% increase.

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