PROVIDENCE – Just over 150 acres in Burrillville, R.I. will be conserved for habitat restoration and the public’s recreational use after the state Department of Environmental Management acquired the property for about $1.3 million, with the help of a federal grant, officials announced Wednesday.
The St. Angelo site, known as “Sweet’s Hill,” will be absorbed into the department’s 1,684-acre Black Hut Management Area, which the newly acquired property abuts on three sides, the agency said in a press release.
“The conservation of [t]his property as an addition to Black Hut Management Area is another win for expanding recreational opportunities and protecting important habitat,” Terry Gray, department director, said in a statement.
According to officials, the state purchased the property for $1,336,500 using a $911,250 grant from the US Fish & Wildlife Service to help cover costs. The remaining $425,250 came from Open Space Bond funds.
“The acquisition will strengthen the boundary of the Management Area, will be open to the public, provide excellent recreational opportunities, and protect important habitat which includes forested uplands, a series of streams, vernal pools, and old field dense with pollinator-friendly plants,” officials said. “DEM’s Division of Fish & Wildlife will manage the property for hunting and trapping opportunities as well as for open space and conservation habitat.”
Through its Land Conservation Program, the department purchases “ecologically valuable land” to add to the state’s portfolio of forest lands, parks, and management areas. The effort relies on state Open Space Bonds, which receive contributions from federal programs, land trusts, and cities and towns.
“The program works to acquire land to add to DEM’s conservation holdings – to protect state forests and open spaces for public recreational use and habitat conservation,” officials said. “Since 1985, over 20,000 acres of land have been protected.”
In December, the department made another purchase in Burrillville, acquiring more than 900 acres of forested land that was a former Boy Scouts property for $1.6 million. The transaction marked the largest acquisition for the agency in a decade, and brought one of the last large undeveloped parcels remaining in Rhode Island under state management.
Christopher Gavin can be reached at christopher.gavin@globe.com.
