Hello RI Land Trust Council Friends!
The 2024 legislative session has come to a close. Thank you for your support this year, especially with our efforts to make the Green Bond greener!
This year, the Council successfully advanced two out of three of our legislative priorities. On June 17th, the Governor signed the 2025 Budget including the $13 Million added to the Green Bond for the ballot in November. It also includes $180,000 for the Conservation Districts, and two FTEs for the Division of Forest Environment. Governor McKee also signed the bills prohibiting the practice of captive hunting and the importation of wildlife for that purpose.
While we didn’t get the amendments to the Housing & Conservation Trust Fund Act (S2636/H7699) over the finish line this year, we’ve made significant progress in building relationships with important partners in the affordable housing space. Additionally, we made a strong case that we can both preserve significant open spaces and create sufficient affordable housing if we work together. These new partnerships have created a path towards even stronger legislative priorities for 2025, including the potential for a Community Preservation Act in Rhode Island.
We tracked 139 bills this session. Bills that we tracked that made it to the finish line include:
- Freshwater Lake Management Program. Establishes the RI lake management program and account within RIDEM to aid with lake and pond management issues related to control of aquatic invasive plants.
- Several laws related to PFAs and microplastics, including the Comprehensive PFAs ban of 2024.
- Real Estate Sales Disclosures. Requiring written acknowledgement from any buyer of oceanfront or shoreline property that they have been informed of the public’s rights and privileges of the shore.
- A law designating Sapowet Marsh Management Area in Tiverton and Sapowet Cove as open space to be utilized by passive outdoor recreation.
- Additional wildlife bills, including a law that allows DEM to make rules around the possession of animal carcasasses and modifies reporting requirements regarding deer-car collisions, a law that allows the taking of wild turkeys with crossbow, a law that allows the harvesting of blue crabs at night, and a law that allows DEM to promulgate rules about furbearers.
- The Renewable Ready Program, which establishes a program and fund to promote the responsible siting/development of renewable energy generating resources in locations where it would make sense to redevelop previously contaminated property.
- Several new study commissions, including a commission to study the issues confronting the State due to climate change, a solar siting advisory task force, a legislative study commission to study renewable energy programs, and a joint resolution extending the bottle bill study commission.
Thank you again for your support this year! Any questions about the RI Land Trust Council’s advocacy work can be directed to Kate Sayles at ksayles@rilandtrusts.org.
