Advocacy

The Rhode Island Land Trust Council leads efforts to conserve land in both rural and urban areas of Rhode Island to secure thriving farms, resilient forests, healthy watersheds, welcoming shorelines and parks, well-maintained trails, biodiverse habitats, and clean drinking water for the benefit of all Rhode Islanders.

Learn about past work.

Interested in learning more about the RI State Legislature? The RI Food Policy Council has some amazing resources! Check out their infographics on Advocacy 101 and How Our Laws Are Made in Rhode Island.

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Visit our Bill Tracker to stay up-to-date on relevant bills.

Policy Priorities

Land & Water Conservation

Conserved natural areas provide wildlife habitat, clean air & clean drinking water, and important places for people to recreate. Access to parks and conservation areas are critical to mental and physical health outcomes, and are key to healthy Rhode Island communities. Forests store and sequester carbon, making land conservation an important piece of the climate change puzzle. The Rhode Island Land Trust Council works on policies that fund important natural areas across the state, encourage smart land use decision making, and ensure that ALL Rhode Islanders have access to green spaces.

Funding in the Green Bond

While the Rhode Island Land Trust Council is pleased to see that outdoor recreation and municipal resiliency programs were included in the 2025 Green Economy Bond, we are disappointed that there is no funding for the state land and water conservation programs that we utilize to conserve important landscapes, watersheds, and farms that benefit all Rhode Islanders. We are asking the General Assembly to increase the Bond by $16 Million to fund the following programs: $5 Million for Farmland Protection; $5 Million for State Open Space to bring the fund back up to historic funding levels; $3 Million for the Local Open Space Grant Program; and $3 Million for Forest & Habitat Management on state lands.

Conservation and Housing

The Rhode Island Land Trust Council believes that all Rhode Islanders deserve a safe and healthy place to live with access to clean air, clean water, open spaces, and healthy food. We are actively building bridges with affordable housing organizations to find common ground, and are working towards our mutual goals of conserving and protecting Rhode Island’s important natural areas, recreational land, and agricultural land while also creating and sustaining low-and moderate-income housing for Rhode Islanders.