Governor McKee Highlights 2024 DEM Accomplishments: Improving RI’s Resilience to Climate Change, Preserving Lands, and Advancing Sustainability

PROVIDENCE, RI - On December 10, 2024, Governor Dan McKee and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) highlighted the agency’s 2024 accomplishments, which included improving climate resilience in local communities and through infrastructure investments, advancing sustainability initiatives, preserving hundreds of acres of land, and hosting more than 8 million visits at the state park network.

In 2024, Rhode Island was ranked third in the nation for natural environment in The U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 Best States list, reflecting the high value that the state places on our natural environment and is based on pollution levels measured by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

“Rhode Island is a leader in climate change action and expanding our green economy to support stronger and healthier communities. This recognition reflects our unwavering commitment to protecting the environment and investing in our green economy to support jobs, public health, and a more resilient Rhode Island,” said Governor Dan McKee. “Together with DEM, Rhode Island continues to prioritize improving water quality, and fostering sustainable agriculture and outdoor recreation for all Rhode Islanders.” 

“This ranking reflects the value that Rhode Island places on its natural environment, which lies at the core of DEM’s mission,” said DEM Director Terry Gray. “The dedication of our staff in ensuring that permits and policies protect and restore our environment, along with our strong partnerships with the Rhode Island General Assembly, the Congressional Delegation, municipalities, and a broad network of community, environmental, and non-profit organizations, ensures that Rhode Island remains a wonderful place to live and enjoy the outdoors.”

DEM highlights for 2024 include:?

Advancing the Act on Climate

In February, DEM joined Governor McKee in awarding over $200K to community groups for projects aimed at enhancing public engagement around?Rhode Island's 2025 Climate Action Strategy, which requires the state to incrementally reduce climate emissions to net zero by 2050.

• With support from DEM staff, the Rhode Island Executive Climate Change Coordinating Council (EC4), chaired by DEM Director Terry Gray, approved the FY 2025 Spending Plan allocating $1,660,000 across state agencies to support continued implementation of the Act on Climate.

Reducing Emissions

DEM’s Office of Air Resources (OAR) released the 2022 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Inventory, which indicated that Rhode Island’s GHG emissions decreased by 2.2% in 2022, serving as a call to action to continue collaborative work to advance progress toward the next benchmark mandated by the 2021 Act on Climate. When compared to unofficial state-level data published by the EPA, Rhode Island was the only New England state to see lower emissions in 2022. 

• In 2024, OAR awarded over $1M in Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) grants to private companies, municipalities, and marine vessel operators to replace dirty diesel engines with cleaner engines. ?  
• DEM received $1.3M in Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) grants and a Congressional Earmark to replace?and upgrade existing air quality monitoring equipment, purchase portable air monitoring equipment, locate new monitoring sites, and locate low-cost sensors in several communities across Rhode Island to help protect the air we breathe.?

Approving the Green Bond 

• On Election Day, Rhode Island voters overwhelmingly supported the 2024 Green Bond, with all 39 cities and towns approving the $53M bond question. This critical investment will support projects that improve infrastructure, preserve natural places, create jobs, and promote community resilience.

Supporting Conservation Efforts 

In 2024, DEM’s Land Conservation Program helped preserve more than 1,500 acres of land for outdoor recreation, farmland, natural resource preservation, and habitat protection. 

• DEM conserved 942 acres of forested land in Burrillville for public recreational use, including hunting – the largest single acquisition by DEM since 2014 and one of the last large undeveloped parcels remaining in the state. DEM received a $1.2M grant from the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) through the Wildlife Restoration Program and a $301,250 award from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) through Walmart’s Acres for America Program to complete the purchase of the Rhode Island Boy Scouts’ Buck Hill property. 
• DEM oversaw a conservation easement over a 20.4-acre active farm in Warren with the RI Agricultural Lands Preservation Commission to leverage $480,000 from the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service to ensure this farm remains working farmland into the future. 
• DEM and the RI Agricultural Lands Preservation Commission worked with the Westerly Land Trust to acquire the 90.6-acre Champlin property – conserving a combination of agricultural fields and forested habitat. 
• In partnership with Providence Water, DEM acquired over 98 acres of forestland in Foster through the U.S. Forest Service’s Forest Legacy Program. This land acquisition helps preserve critical natural resources and the water quality of the Scituate Reservoir. 
• DEM also acquired 54 acres of land abutting the Diamond Hill Management area to enhance public access to outdoor recreation. 
• In May, DEM awarded $2.6M in 2022 Green Bond funding through its Local Open Space Grant Program. This funding supported 11 projects that together protected 383 acres of valuable green space throughout the state.

Attracting More Visitors

• Rhode Islanders take great pride in where they live and in 2024, came out in full force with more than 8 million people visiting our state parks, beaches, campgrounds, bike paths, historic sites, picnic areas, trails, athletic fields, fishing access areas, and boat ramps. 
• DEM’s Division of Parks & Recreation began expanding its Naturalist Program by highlighting natural and historical elements to emphasize the importance of preserving Rhode Island’s natural resources and the historic state park network through environmental education programs including Project Wet and Project Wild. 
• The Division also received a $15,000 grant from the Bronco Wild Fund to provide guided hikes throughout the state park network.

Bolstering Climate Resiliency

• In October, DEM received a nearly $15.5M Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program award critically supported through the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency (RIEMA) – the largest grant ever received by Rhode Island through the program with a 10% state match from RI Capital Plan Funds. These funds will be used for an over $17.2M project to elevate structures at the Port of Galilee in Narraganset, Wickford Dock, and replace eight docks at Galilee, DEM’s Division of Marine Fisheries’ Jerusalem facility, and DEM’s Division of Law Enforcement’s Wickford Marine Base to improve resilience to the increasing impacts of climate change. These improvements at the Port of Galilee will ensure that it remains a vibrant working waterfront for the commercial fishers who berth there and the many commercial crews up and down the Atlantic Coast.  
• In October, DEM awarded over $1M in Climate Resilience Fund?(CRF) awards for statewide climate resilience projects to help RI communities safeguard vulnerable coastal habitats from the effects of climate change so we have a resilient Ocean State for future generations. 

Leading By Example

DEM has advanced the Lead by Example effort initiated by Governor McKee, which challenges state agencies to lead by example as part of a sustainability initiative focusing on sustainable materials management and clean energy.

• DEM implemented resource recovery stations at DEM buildings to maximize recycling, encourage composting, and minimize materials heading to the landfill.
• The event sustainability initiative engaged event organizers at DEM-managed properties to implement best management practices for energy use, food sourcing, and waste management. 
• The clean energy initiative?advanced projects to provide electric vehicle charging stations, modernize solar installations, and explore solar canopies to generate renewable electricity, battery storage for onsite electricity storage, LED lighting to reduce electricity usage, and water fill stations to eliminate single-use plastic bottles at DEM’s larger state beaches. 
• DEM continues shifting fleet vehicles from internal combustion engines to all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. DEM’s Lead by Example dashboard showcases the progress and plans in motion.

Protecting Rhode Island's Environment

DEM’s Office of Emergency Response (OER) responded to nearly 600 incidents in 2024 as part of Rhode Island's first line of defense in protecting the public and the environment during environmental emergencies. 

• In July, OER responded to a rollover of a tanker truck which released 3,000 gallons of gasoline on the Allens Avenue on-ramp to I-95 North in Providence. OER staff worked to contain the release from impacting the Providence River and coordinated the remediation process. 
• OER was part of the response to a large fire at the CNC International Building in Woonsocket, where DEM staff had previously worked with the facility owner to remove thousands of containers of hazardous and non-hazardous waste in recent years. OER staff assisted with air monitoring and provided chemical information for the regional HazMat team and other responding agencies. 
• OER continued its Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) takeback program to remove firefighting foam that contained Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) from fire departments throughout the state and replace them with a PFAS-free alternative. As of the end of 2024, a total of 98,120 pounds of AFFF containing PFAS has been successfully removed and properly disposed of through the program. 

Engaging Students and Young People

DEM’s Division of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) continued to educate Rhode Islanders about its wildlife and conservation efforts.

• DFW engaged over 1,000 residents through wildlife outreach events and reached 927 students across 18 towns through Rhody Critter Kits – a collection of free educational resources for K-5 educators. 
• DFW’s Aquatic Resource Education (ARE) program hosted over 90 programs and events with over 7,000 participants, including the national ARE Association biennial conference in Newport with over 80 participants from 32 states and two territories. DFW’s Volunteer Outreach Program engaged dedicated volunteers who contributed over 2,724 hours of service in 2024, representing an in-kind value of $95,721 in support of DFW’s wildlife and fisheries conservation efforts.
• The National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP), coordinated by DFW, engaged 1,017 students across 11 RI schools to promote archery skills. In 2024, DFW stocked over 127,000 trout and salmon into 87 water systems throughout RI.

Ensuring Clean Water

DEM’s Office of Water Resources (OWR) continued in 2024 to protect the clean water that is at the center of the Ocean State’s way of life. 

• OWR participated in the legislative commission studying the reduced catch of quahogs in Narragansett Bay, producing a Final Report in May with recommendations for the protection and enhancement of the state’s quahog fishery. 
• In response to petitions from the Conservation Law Foundation and Attorney General’s Office, DEM committed to developing and issuing a general permit to regulate previously unpermitted stormwater discharges into Mashapaug, Spectacle, and Tongue Ponds in Cranston and Providence. 
• In cooperation with the Rhode Island Clean Water Association (RICWA), New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC), and Narragansett Bay Commission (NBC) DEM completed the latest cohort of its award-winning Wastewater Operator Leadership Boot Camp with 12 graduates.

Promoting Locally Sourced Seafood

The Rhode Island Seafood Marketing Collaborative, a public-private body chaired by DEM, continued to increase awareness and consumption of locally harvested species through the trademarked RI Seafood brand logo which ensures that the businesses displaying the logo source fresh and local seafood.  

• In 2024, the RI Seafood brand attended close to 30 events, interacted with over 3,200 consumers, and engaged more than 128 Rhode Island businesses, including fishers, aquaculturists, and other seafood businesses in its marketing campaign, all of which can be found on the RI seafood finder which connects consumers with opportunities to buy fresh local seafood. 

Enhancing Local Food, Agriculture, and Forests

DEM’s?Division of Agriculture and Forest Environment?(DAFE) continued to work across many fronts to benefit and strengthen Rhode Island’s local food and agricultural industry. 

• More than 40 local farmers, fishers, and specialty food producers received Local Agriculture and Seafood Act (LASA)?grant program awards, splitting $662K in funding for projects that support the growth, development, and marketing of local farms, seafood harvesters, and food businesses. 
• Over $270,000 was awarded?through the?Specialty Crop Block Grant Program?(SCBGP) to support farmers of local fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and nursery crops.  
• The latest U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Census of Agriculture, ranked Rhode Island with the highest percentage of beginning farmers in the country, with more than 1,000 farms sprinkled across the state and a thriving young farmer network. Both the number of farms and total land in farms in RI grew from 2017 to 2022 according to the census data, demonstrating the increased support for local agriculture and food throughout the state. The Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) launched a modernized benefit card system to more easily connect eligible RI seniors with local growers. The program also offered homebound senior delivery, serving over 5,5000 seniors statewide with fresh, RI Grown fruit and vegetables. 
• To protect farmland and economically important crops such as vineyards and hops, the Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey (CAPS) program surveyed 25 at-risk forested and agricultural areas for invasive insects that could cause environmental and economic impacts to Rhode Island’s farms and forests. 
• The Urban and Community Forestry Program continued to assist RI municipalities in planting and maintaining urban trees, especially in communities with environmental justice populations lacking access to tree canopy cover. 
• DEM’s Forest Fire Program increased its use of prescribed fire for habitat restoration and to reduce the risk of unplanned, high-severity, destructive wildfires. In 2024, the program treated 130 acres of state property with prescribed fire, nearly a threefold increase from 2023. The program continued to hold specialized wildfire training classes to strengthen wildland firefighting capacity throughout the state. 
• In 2024, the Division conducted shaded fuel break brush clearing projects along various stretches of forestland on state lands to lessen the risk of uncontrolled wildfires.