Largest-Ever Nature Conservancy Acquisition in Rhode Island Adds to Pawcatuck Borderlands Preservation

Providence, RI—December 18, 2006—The Nature Conservancy, along with local, state and federal partners, has acquired the 970-acre Phebe M. Shepard Estate property in the Pawcatuck Borderlands, a vast area of open, largely-forested land that straddles the Rhode Island and Connecticut border. The purchase is the largest single property acquired in the 20-year history of the Rhode Island Chapter of The Nature Conservancy.

The Shepard property is part of an overall 1,647-acre acquisition of forest land in the Pawcatuck Borderlands. This is the single largest conservation acquisition in the state since the transfer of federal lands in the 1930s and ‘40s for the Arcadia Management Area. This land was purchased from several individual landowners.

“This is an enormous achievement by the Conservancy and its partners,” said The Nature Conservancy Rhode Island State Director Janet Coit. “The Shepard tract and adjacent properties have been a top priority in Rhode Island for the Conservancy and our partners for more than thirty years. The natural resources here are invaluable, and the fact that the opportunity to preserve them all converged at the same time is tremendously exciting.”

The Shepard Estate tract was being marketed by the heirs of Mrs. Phebe Shepard, who had received an $11.5 million offer from a major developer from Baltimore, Maryland. However, The Nature Conservancy had a right of first refusal and was able to match the offer and close the transaction. “Had development taken place on the Shepard Estate and the two adjacent properties,” the Conservancy’s Coit said, “Rhode Island’s largest and most intact forest, and its most pristine watershed, the Wood River, would have been severely degraded.” Conservation of these lands will protect the headwaters of the Wood River. According to Coit, the area will now remain a beautiful natural property with deep woods, a 78-acre undeveloped spring-fed pond, two miles of stream corridor, open grasslands, and oak barrens.

The Nature Conservancy’s public/private partnership includes the state Department of Environmental Management (DEM), the Town of West Greenwich and The Champlin Foundations. The Conservancy has applied for additional funds through the U.S. Forest Service’s Forest Legacy program which must be appropriated by Congress.

"Part of what makes Rhode Island unique is our natural resources like this remaining forest. That is why I'm always pleased to support open space preservation funding in the U.S. Senate, and I commend The Nature Conservancy, the Department of Environmental Management, the Town of West Greenwich, and the Town of Coventry for their efforts to conserve this tract of land in Kent County. Preserving this extremely rare New England habitat will protect many species of plants and animals and ensure that the Wood River will continue to provide clean water flowing downstream," said U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), who earlier this year worked with Senator Lincoln Chafee to secure a commitment from the Senate Appropriations Committee to provide $3 million in federal funding to preserve these properties. However, Congress failed to complete action on the bill before adjourning. The Nature Conservancy will work with Senator Reed on getting these critical federal funds when the new Congress convenes.

The State of Rhode Island and the Town of West Greenwich have been key players. In April, voters in West Greenwich signaled their dedication to land conservation by voting 98 percent in favor of bonding $8 million towards this project and adjacent acquisitions. The total potential contribution of town, state, and federal funds is over $19 million. The Champlin Foundations provided a private match that allowed The Nature Conservancy to acquire the adjacent Bates and Cioe properties along with the Shepard estate to provide a growing corridor of protected open space. The preserved area not only provides quality recreation opportunities and preserves the forest, but also assists in maintaining clean drinking water for the region. There remains $2,500,000 in private funding that is needed to close the funding gap for the purchase of the tracts as well as for a stewardship endowment and other costs for the property, but Conservancy officials are optimistic that private donations will be forthcoming.

The Conservancy is now working with its funding partners to develop a comprehensive management plan for the property that will guide recreation, wildlife management, and forest management activities. The site will be managed by The Nature Conservancy in partnership with the state and local partners, and will be managed for a variety of public uses, including hiking, fishing and hunting.

Kevin Breene, a State Senator and town manager for the Town of West Greenwich was extremely pleased with the acquisition. “We are thrilled that the Conservancy and the town and our other public partners were able to work together to acquire this critical property in our town. The voters in West Greenwich were extremely supportive as were the town council and other local leaders. We look forward to working with The Nature Conservancy and the state in planning for the future management of the tract and the other adjacent properties.”