48 Acres Of Tiverton Forest Get Permanent Protection

TIVERTON, RI — The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the Tiverton Land Trust (TLT) on Thursday announced the permanent conservation of a 48-acre tract of coastal forest in Tiverton.

Situated between Newport’s reservoirs at Pachet Brook and Nonquit Pond, the land was a top priority for conservation in the Sakonnet, a TNC spokesperson said.

It helps connect hundreds of acres of protected forest, wetlands, and farmland, including the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management's 400-acre Eight Rod Farm Management Area. It also builds on decades of effort by the land preservation community in Tiverton, according to TNC.

Conservation of the forest keeps drinking water clean for Newport residents by preventing sources of bacterial contamination from reaching Nonquit Pond, a TNC spokesperson said. It also protects aquatic life by limiting the amount of nutrient pollution that flows into Fogland Marsh.

"An awful lot of this is really about watershed protection," John Berg, TNC’s Sakonnet landscape manager, said. "If we can save the forest that surrounds the waterways, we keep the groundwater and reservoirs clean and keep the habitat intact."

TNC and TLT will co-hold a conservation easement on the property, which will remain a privately owned forest but now can never be developed or subdivided. The easement allows both organizations to invite visitors for guided walks.

"Protecting critical and beautiful tracts of land in our community has become complex — and it is often best done as a team sport," Tiverton Land Trust President David Elliott said.

Working in close collaboration, TNC and TLT raised funds to purchase the conservation easement through donations from both organizations’ members and grants from the Bafflin Foundation and the Mary Dexter Chafee Fund.

More about the protected Tiverton forest can be found here.