Good Dirt

     With the recent passage of the Town of Portsmouth’s Open Space and Recreational Development Bond Referendum, the Aquidneck Land Trust (“ALT”) is pleased to announce that the organization has received a $250,000 grant award from Portsmouth for its effort to conserve 125 +/- acres of Swan Farm on Wapping Road in Portsmouth.

     “We applaud the leadership and long-term vision of the Portsmouth Town Council, the Town’s staff and the Portsmouth Open Space Committee along with the voters of Portsmouth because their passage of the Open Space and Recreational Development Bond made this grant award possible,” said ALT’s Executive Director Ted Clement.

     In 2004, ALT conducted an extensive mapping and prioritization project that identified 500 threatened open space parcels on Aquidneck Island.  Using conservation criteria, the 500 properties were scored and narrowed down to a list of 100 priority parcels, one of which was Swan Farm.  Swan Farm scored highly because of its numerous conservation values.  The property, which affords the community scenic vistas of its beautiful fields and forest from Wapping Road, is strategically located within ALT’s Sakonnet Greenway and is adjacent to land already conserved by the organization.  Swan Farm is agriculturally important because it contains acres and acres of Prime Farmland as identified by the United States Department of Agriculture.  The property also has a number of important wildlife habitat types including vernal pools, meadows and the largest remaining unprotected forest on Aquidneck Island that support various Rhode Island listed species such as the State Endangered Northern Harrier.

     There are also economic benefits associated with conserving Swan Farm.  For example, numerous studies have demonstrated that it generally costs a municipality between $1.04 and $2 for every dollar of tax revenue collected to provide services to a typical subdivision.  Subdivisions require schools, roads, police, water, rescue and fire department services, storm water management and other municipal support.  Thus, current taxpayers typically end up subsidizing new subdivisions which bring increased traffic, crowded schools and the loss of a community’s character.  During the ALT’s due diligence phase on Swan Farm, an engineer’s conceptual subdivision plan demonstrated that the subject area could support 40 residential lots.  Then, based on a 30-year cost of services analysis, the Portsmouth Town Planner demonstrated that such a 40-lot subdivision, in net present value dollars, would be a loss to the Town of well over $1 million.

     In 2005, ALT learned that Swan Farm was under imminent threat of development and was able to secure an Option Agreement which gives the non-profit organization until August 2008 to raise $3 million to purchase a permanent conservation restriction on 125 +/- acres of Swan Farm.  With Portsmouth’s visionary Swan Farm grant award, ALT estimates that it has lined up about $1.5 million that can be used for the project.

     Regarding the Town’s grant award, Dennis Canario, Portsmouth Town Council President, said, “Thanks to the overwhelming support that Portsmouth residents gave to the open space bond issue, Portsmouth can play a role in conserving this unique property with such significant conservation values.”

     Joan Sousa, Chair of the Portsmouth Open Space Committee, said, “Preserving our way of life in Portsmouth is very important and we are running out of time.  There are not many opportunities left in Portsmouth to conserve parcels of this size.”

     ALT’s mission is to preserve Aquidneck Island’s open spaces and natural character for the lasting benefit of our community.  With today’s closing, the organization has conserved 1,956.36 acres on Aquidneck Island.  ALT is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.  For more information about ALT, visit www.AquidneckLandTrust.org.

As always, thank you for your continued support
for conservation on our Island.

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