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    Gaining Ground

    Rhode Island

    65,600

    Acres Protected

    That’s about 49,697 football fields!

    Land trusts have already conserved 61 million acres of private land across the nation — more than all of the national parks combined. Help us conserve another 60 million acres by the end of the decade.

    Together, let’s keep Gaining Ground.

    Visitors to Land Trust Properties

    223,725

    Visitors in 2020, more than double that of 2015.

    Percent of Land Trusts That Provide Public Access to Their Lands

    81%

    Land trusts provide opportunities to recreate and recharge.

    Number of People Served

    12,125

    Land trusts provide programs and activities to get people outside and learn about the land.

    Miles of Trails

    109

    Walking, hiking and other outdoor recreation improve people's health and well-being.

    Miles With Universal Access

    5

    Universal access trails are designed to be used by all people, regardless of ability.

    Percent of Land Trusts Who Increased Community Engagement in the Last Five Years

    88%

    Land Trusts Are Deepening Relationships With:

    • People from various racial and ethnic backgrounds

    • Older adults or those living in retirement communities

    • People who identify as LGBTQ+

    • People living with disabilities

    • Veterans

    Land Trusts Are Helping Address Community Needs, Including:

    • Youth education and development

    • Community and economic development

    • Food security and agriculture

    • Health and wellness

    • Social and environmental justice

    Demographics

    Every land trust is as unique as the community it serves.

    Rhode Island land trusts are community-led and supported and protect lands and waters that help the entire state.

    Active Land Trusts

    27

    A land trust is a nonprofit that conserves land by acquiring and stewarding land or conservation easements.

    Learn more about land trusts
    Alliance Member Land Trusts

    13

    Land Trust Alliance members commit to adopting Land Trust Standards and Practices as their guiding principles.

    Learn about the land trust alliance
    Accredited Land Trusts

    6

    Accredited land trusts undergo a thorough review of their practices in governance, finance, transactions and stewardship.

    Learn about land trust accreditation

    People

    • 10,961

    • 1,880

    • 38

    • 23

    • 338

    Land Trust Longevity

    • 126 years old (1897)

    • 14 years old (2009)

    • 37 years old

    State Association
    Rhode Island Land Trust Council
    View website
    Percent of Land Trusts Who Increased Focus on Climate Change in the Last Five Years

    100%

    Percent of Land Trusts Receiving Funding to Address Climate Change

    50%

    Sources of Funding to Address Climate Change

    • United States Department of Agriculture - Natural Resources Conservation Service

    • Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management

    • Rhode Island General Assembly

    Land Protected

    There has been a 37% increase in Rhode Island land protected by land trusts since 2010.

    Acre by acre, land trusts are helping to conserve Rhode Island lands, waters and ways of life.

    2010
    2015
    2020
    Total acres protected
    47,828
    63,614
    65,600
    +37%
    Under easement
    7,595
    12,212
    13,589
    +79%
    Owned
    15,852
    26,366
    26,568
    +68%
    Acquired and reconveyed
    7,739
    8,096
    7,631
    0%
    Protected by other means
    16,642
    17,989
    17,812
    +7%

    Disclaimer: Land trusts conserve land in many different ways and every project is unique. Category totals may change depending on how acres are reported by survey respondents to reflect the most current data and minimize double-counting. In some instances, the total may be greater than the sum of the separate categories due to organizations that provided total acres not broken down by category.

    Percent of Land Owned and Under Easement Held by an Accredited Land Trust

    53%

    Source: 2020 National Land Trust Census

    Total Public Funding for Conservation From 1998-2017

    $254 million

    Source: Trust for Public Land's Conservation Almanac

    Acres of Land Lost to Development From 2012-2017

    2,900

    Source: NRCS - Natural Resources Inventory

    This information reflects data collected in the National Land Trust Census, the longest-running comprehensive survey of private land conservation in America. Learn more about the Census and see which land trusts participated in the 2020 National Land Trust Census.

    Making a Difference

    Rhode Island land trusts are gaining ground.

    Land trusts across the state are helping find solutions to some of Rhode Island's most pressing issues.

    • Providing access to land for all: The Rhode Island Land Trust Council created the RIWalks Challenge, adding 30 nature-inspired creatures along nature trails at land trust properties to encourage people to get outside and visit the special places land trusts protect.

      Read more

    • Conserving wildlife habitat: The accredited South Kingstown Land Trust began Operation Spadefoot RI, a habitat restoration project to create artificial breeding pools in order to repopulate the endangered eastern spadefoot toad.

      Read more

    Land Trusts Working in Rhode Island

    Land Trust Alliance member land trusts, listed below, commit to adopting Land Trust Standards and Practices as their guiding principles.

    Access Fund
    Access Fund
    Boulder, CO
    American Farmland Trust
    American Farmland Trust
    Northampton, MA
    Aquidneck Land Trust
    Aquidneck Land Trust
    Middletown, RI
    2,899 acres protected in RI
    Audubon Society of Rhode Island
    Audubon Society of Rhode Island
    Smithfield, RI
    9,397 acres protected in RI
    Avalonia Land Conservancy
    Avalonia Land Conservancy
    Old Mystic, CT
    31 acres protected in RI
    Barrington Land Conservation Trust
    Barrington Land Conservation Trust
    Barrington, RI
    284 acres protected in RI
    Block Island Conservancy
    Block Island Conservancy
    Block Island, RI
    235 acres protected in RI
    Block Island Land Trust
    Block Island Land Trust
    Block Island, RI
    587 acres protected in RI
    Buzzards Bay Coalition
    Buzzards Bay Coalition
    New Bedford, MA
    236 acres protected in RI
    Cumberland Land Trust
    Cumberland Land Trust
    Cumberland, RI
    841 acres protected in RI
    Land Conservancy of North Kingstown
    Land Conservancy of North Kingstown
    North Kingstown, RI
    77 acres protected in RI
    Narrow River Land Trust, Inc.
    Narrow River Land Trust, Inc.
    Saunderstown, RI
    663 acres protected in RI
    National Park Trust
    National Park Trust
    Rockville, MD
    Northeastern Cave Conservancy, Inc.
    Northeastern Cave Conservancy, Inc.
    Schoharie, NY
    Prudence Conservancy
    Prudence Conservancy
    Prudence Island, RI
    905 acres protected in RI
    Sakonnet Preservation Association
    Sakonnet Preservation Association
    Little Compton, RI
    466 acres protected in RI
    South Kingstown Land Trust
    South Kingstown Land Trust
    South Kingstown, RI
    3,024 acres protected in RI
    The Conservation Fund
    The Conservation Fund
    Arlington, VA
    108 acres protected in RI
    The Nature Conservancy
    The Nature Conservancy
    Arlington, VA
    37,043 acres protected in RI
    The Trust for Public Land, National Office
    The Trust for Public Land, National Office
    San Francisco, CA
    193 acres protected in RI
    The Westerly Land Trust
    The Westerly Land Trust
    Westerly, RI
    1,716 acres protected in RI
    Tiverton Land Trust
    Tiverton Land Trust
    Tiverton, RI
    655 acres protected in RI