What Grows On in Rhode Island News

Reminder ~ Funding Info Sessions for Farm & Woodland Owners ~ January 5 & 6, 2011

Natural Resources Conservation Service is holding three info sessions January 5 and 6 concerning financial aid for improving soil health, water and air quality, plant productivity, and animal and forest management. If you know of any farm or woodland owners, please forward this blog post to them so they can read the story about funding for such projects. NRCS has money to help Rhode Island farms and forests!

Financial Assistance to Farm & Woodland Owners ~ Deadline January 14, 2011

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides conservation planning and financial and technical assistance to help you composting animal and plant waste, preventing soil erosion, protecting crop fields, enhancing woodlands, controlling invasive plant species, reducing irrigation water use, and improving water quality along among other resource concerns.  Funds are available through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).

The next application deadline is January 14, 2011.

Do you own or manage farmland or forest land in Rhode Island? Funding may be available to eligible applicants to protect, restore, or enhance your land!

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides conservation planning and financial assistance to help you address issues concerning:

• Soil Health
• Water Quality
• Air Quality
• Plant Productivity
• Animal Management
• Forest Management

Please join us for an information workshop to be held at the following locations!

Laurel Grange    January 6, 2011
7:00 PM – 8:30 PM Corner of Snake & Sawmill Roads Harmony (North Scituate), RI 02829

East Farm @URI    January 5, 2011
7:00 PM – 8:30 PM Bldg 75, 2150 Kingstown Road Kingston, RI 02881

Little Compton Grange    January 6, 2011
7:00 PM – 8:30 PM 32 Commons Little Compton, RI 02837

To register for an information workshop, E-mail [email protected]
or call 401-822-8848.

Conservation Stewardship Program Signup ~ Through January 7, 2011

NRCS EXTENDS SIGN-UP PERIOD FOR CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM

Applications Will Be Accepted Through January 7, 2011

WARWICK, RI – The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has extended the ranking period cut-off date for producers to apply for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) to January 7, 2011. CSP is a voluntary program that encourages agricultural and forestry producers to maintain existing conservation activities and adopt additional ones on their operations.

NRCS Chief Dave White said, “We’re extending the deadline for applications to CSP to provide agricultural producers more time to complete their applications,” said White. “This will help farmers, ranchers and forestry producers by giving them more time and hopefully allow even more producers to participate in this program.”

CSP has been a very successful program for Rhode Island’s farmers and forest landowners, according to R. Phou Vongkhamdy, NRCS state conservationist, “So far, Rhode Island has 32 CSP contracts covering over 4,000 acres. The average contract earns $1,200 a year,” said Vongkhamdy. “CSP is especially applicable to agricultural and forest landowners who have implemented conservation plans on their private lands. Under CSP, participants receive an annual land use payment for the environmental benefits they produce on their operation. Under CSP, participants are paid for conservation performance - the higher the operational performance, the higher their payment.”

CSP is available statewide. The program provides many conservation benefits including improvement of water and soil quality, wildlife habitat enhancement and adoption of conservation practices that address the effects of climate change.

Producers are encouraged to apply for CSP at their local NRCS office. The program, authorized in the 2008 Farm Bill, offers payments to producers who maintain a high level of conservation on their land and who agree to adopt higher levels of stewardship. Eligible land includes cropland, grassland, prairie, improved pastureland, non-industrial private forestland, and agricultural land under the jurisdiction of an Indian tribe. Additional assistance is available to beginning or socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers.

A CSP self-screening checklist is available to help producers determine if CSP is suitable for their operation. The checklist highlights basic information about CSP eligibility requirements, contract obligations and potential payments. It is available from local NRCS offices or online at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/new_csp/csp.html.

Source: NRCS Press Release

A Toast for Trees at Roger Williams Park Botanical Center ~ November 4, 2010

Join us in a Toast to Rhode Island Trees.

Tickets available at the door!

Tickets are still available to our 1st fundraising event on November 4th (6pm to 9pm) at the beautiful Roger Williams Botanical Center,  Providence RI.  Come and enjoy samples of wines and beer and taste some of the best foods that RI offers, while basking in the largest public indoor display gardens in New England.  This fundraising event will include a silent auction and raffle, sure to make the evening One Night to Remember in November.   

Tickets are $25.00 each and can be purchased at the door, online at www.ritree.org or simply call the RITree office at 401-764-5885. Proceeds will help support year-long programs of RITree.
 
Forgot to donate? Don't worry there is still time.  To donate auction or raffle items please call RITree's office at 401-764-5885.  All donations are tax deductible.         
 
Roger William Botanical Center, 1000 Elmwood Drive, Providence, Rhode Island 02905

Forest City Awards Night in Providence ~ November 16, 2010

Register Today!

The Providence Tree Advisory Committee invites you to celebrate the growth of our urban forest at The Forest City Awards Night on Tuesday, November 16th, 2010, from 6 to 8 pm, at Roger Williams Park Casino, 1000 Elmwood Ave, Providence, RI.

• 6:30 Awards for exceptional tree stewards and planters
• 7:00 Fun game show to test your tree knowledge

6 to 8pm Light snacks, coffee, tea and apple cider.

Please RSVP to Liz Downing at [email protected] or 401-368-5380 by November 10.

Saplings & Spirits ~ Newport Tree Society Fund Raiser ~ October 28, 2010

Relax among friends while enjoying light food and drink and supporting a terrific cause: helping protect and regenerate Newport's urban forest.

Parking available on Catherine and Gibbs. Please use Hillside's drive for drop-offs only.

Join us for a Special Announcement!

Thursday, October 28, 2010
5:30 pm  to  7:30 pm

'Hillside'
300 Gibbs Avenue
Newport, Rhode Island  02840

$25 / person

RSVP
(401) 324-9204
[email protected]

$25 tax deductible donation payable at the door (cash or check) or in advance.   To purchase in advance, make checks payable to The Newport Tree Society and mail them to:
The Newport Tree Society
PO Box 863
Newport, RI 02840

Are You Smarter than a Gubernatorial Candidate?

From Greg Gerritt, Prosperity for Rhode Island

I was not real happy with the answers gubernatorial candidates gave at the debate on the environment.  So I came up with some new questions that would actually test their knowledge of the environment.

What I am doing is holding a contest.  Answer the 5 questions, email the answers to me.  I will pick the two best set of answers.  One winner will get a signed copy of my book “A Campaign for the Forest,” the other winner will receive a guided tour of the Moshassuck River. 

Questions that Rhode Island's Governor Should be Able to Answer

1. Explain the physics of climate change.

2. Explain what happens to beaches and salt marshes when sea level rises, and what happens if beaches and marshes are backed up by hardscapes. How will you protect tourism in RI if the hardscapes interfere with the needs of a tourism underpinned by healthy landscapes?

3. What role do forests play in alleviating flooding, and how much forest is needed to increase infiltration and alleviate run off?  What program would you implement in order to save Rhode Islanders millions and millions of dollars in flood damages that would also provide for cleaner water and livelier and more abundant wildlife and fisheries?

4. RI receives almost all of its food from places vulnerable to climate change, and shipped here by ever more expensive and climate changing dirty fossil fuels.  What would you do to increase RI’s food security, what are the inputs needed for that task, and how does this relate to your economic development strategy?

5. Ecosystems change over time, with much of the process either explained by Darwinian thought, or mimicking its effects in the physical universe. Pick an iconic RI landscape, beaches, saltmarshes, farm land, forests, river valleys, or another of your choosing, and describe how healing that system might help us make progress both in social and evolutionary terms.  Make specific reference to Darwinian principles in doing so.  Then describe the economic changes that would contribute best to the healing process and the prosperity of the community.

Become a Rhode Island Tree Steward ~ Course Begins September 1, 2010

There are still a few openings in the fall class offered by the RI Tree Council.

Learn more about:

Tree biology, Tree identification, Tree planting & pruning, Tree health, Urban forestry, Soils, and the untold benefits of trees.

Tree Stewardship combines learning about and caring for trees, as well as understanding how people and trees can best grow together!

Wednesday evening, September 1st -October 6th 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Registration fee: $95.00 manual included.
Location: Horizon Bay Building
600 Centre of New England Blvd., Coventry RI

Outdoor Workshop, Saturday,
September 25th, 9 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Location: Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery

ISA Continuing Education Credits Available for Certified Arborists.

This morning (Thursday, August 26) the website says they are not taking any more registrations, but that's not accurate! Registration can be made by calling the office at 401-764-5885.

Survey for the Asian Longhorned Beetle in Providence ~ August 24 & 26, 2010

The dates, times, and locations of the 2010 Asian Longhorned Beetle surveys in Providence are as follows:

• Tuesday, August 24, 2010 -- Port of Providence Survey ~ Meeting at 42 Jillson Street in Providence (the Washington Park Community Center) at 9am to carpool to the Port of Providence area
• Thursday, August 26, 2010 -- Wanskuck Park Survey ~ Meeting and parking at the service road off of Woodward Road near Wanskuck Park at 9am

Directions to locations can be provided for volunteers. 

We need your help!  The more people we get to come out with us to examine trees, the better the chance we can find the pest if it is lurking in Rhode Island.  If you are available to volunteer or have any questions please RSVP to Tom Ferrelli at 401-949-1770 as soon as possible. 

We ask that volunteers bring a pair of binoculars on the day of the survey.  We also have T-Shirts for all who volunteer so be sure to let us know what size you would like when you RSVP.  The surveys should last no more than a few hours and participants are welcome to volunteer for one or both of the surveys.  Please dress weather appropriate and wear comfortable shoes the day of.  Thank you for your participation in advance; I hope to see you next week!

                            Tom Ferrelli
                            DEM Division of Agriculture

Forest Health Works Project Open House ~ August 23, 2010

This is a community event where you can meet our high school summer crew, enjoy coffee & dessert, and learn about the current and future Forest Health Works Projects! The FHWP is a project of the Rhode Island Natural History Survey, in partnership between state and local organizations, to help improve the health & sustainability of Rhode Island’s forests by inventorying and restoring up to 50,000 acres of priority forestland for invasive plants. 

When:        Monday, August 23rd, 7 – 8:30pm
Where:      W. Alton Jones Campus -  Environmental Education Center, West Greenwich, RI

We welcome the opportunity to meet members of the community and showcase our work. We hope to see you there!
 
For more information, please contact us at 401-874-5800  
 
Directions to the W. Alton Jones Campus Environmental Education Center