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Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management 235 Promenade Street | Providence, RI 02908 | 401. 222. 4700 | www. dem. ri. gov | @RhodeIslandDEM CONTACT: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: DEM. communications@ dem. ri. gov Friday, Dec. 13, 2024 GLOBALLY RARE</div>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><img width="83" height="119" style="width:.8645in;height:1.2395in" id="Picture_x0020_782" src="cid:image001.png@01DB4D62.0B76F240" alt="DEM-logo-small"></span><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Impact",sans-serif;color:#00457A">Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#00457A">235 Promenade Street | Providence, RI 02908 | 401.222.4700 |</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#0070C0">
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><a href="http://www.dem.ri.gov"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#0066FF">www.dem.ri.gov</span></a></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#0070C0">
</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#00457A">| @RhodeIslandDEM</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">CONTACT:</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">
<b>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><a href="mailto:DEM.communications@dem.ri.gov"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#0066FF">DEM.communications@dem.ri.gov</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#0066FF">
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"> Friday, Dec. 13, 2024<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">GLOBALLY RARE FOREST HABITAT TO BE PROTECTED FOR TRIBAL REMATRIATION<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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</v:shape><![endif]--><![if !vml]><img width="546" height="295" style="width:5.6875in;height:3.0729in" src="cid:image003.jpg@01DB4D68.D5DEFD60" align="right" hspace="12" v:shapes="image2.png"><![endif]><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:black">PROVIDENCE,
RI – The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) and the <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.pocassetlandtrust.org/__;!!KKphUJtCzQ!N7Yd93m3Wrpe7c-_CCkkRpbXFftV6VvAlrrzrBTRsoXf-suCdGOWQxaI3Wj7cilt0EzmQ3qVoK0VIBgrGka2x_vLl4IotqeYDlyc$">
Pocasset Pokanoket Land Trust [pocassetlandtrust.org]</a> in partnership with <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.ballys.com/home/default.aspx__;!!KKphUJtCzQ!N7Yd93m3Wrpe7c-_CCkkRpbXFftV6VvAlrrzrBTRsoXf-suCdGOWQxaI3Wj7cilt0EzmQ3qVoK0VIBgrGka2x_vLl4Iotma3B7Wn$">
Bally’s Corporation [ballys.com]</a> today announced the permanent conservation of <w:Sdt SdtTag="goog_rdk_0" id="-639574921">
</w:Sdt>38.27 acres of Atlantic White Cedar forest in Tiverton. The forest is part of the Pocasset Cedar Swamp off Bears Den Road in North Tiverton. This
<w:Sdt SdtTag="goog_rdk_2" id="-2027164478"><w:Sdt SdtTag="goog_rdk_3" id="1434320556"></w:Sdt></w:Sdt><w:Sdt SdtTag="goog_rdk_4" id="-1430883935">land
</w:Sdt>is <w:Sdt SdtTag="goog_rdk_5" id="-1724820875">a </w:Sdt>portion of a large Atlantic White Cedar swamp, which is a globally imperiled forest
<w:Sdt SdtTag="goog_rdk_6" id="-1695219462">species</w:Sdt><w:Sdt SdtTag="goog_rdk_8" id="1590505948">,</w:Sdt> particularly under threat from sea level rise in the mid-Atlantic Region of the United States.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:black">The Pocasset Cedar Swamp is a vast expanse of forested swamp containing remnant stands of Atlantic White Cedar. Photo Credit: Daryl Black Eagle Jamieson,
Pocasset Pokanoket Land Trust.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:black">Atlantic White Cedar forests have an extensive history of commercial harvesting and today make up only a small percentage of forest cover in the region. Over
the past century alone, Atlantic White Cedar forests across the Atlantic seaboard have been considerably degraded and reduced. Coupled with its important natural resource value, the Pocasset Cedar Swamp has inherent cultural and sacred value to the
<a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://pocassetpokanoket.com/__;!!KKphUJtCzQ!N7Yd93m3Wrpe7c-_CCkkRpbXFftV6VvAlrrzrBTRsoXf-suCdGOWQxaI3Wj7cilt0EzmQ3qVoK0VIBgrGka2x_vLl4Ioto3dxRdc$">Pocasset Wampanoag<w:Sdt SdtTag="goog_rdk_16" id="433018874"> Tribe</w:Sdt> [pocassetpokanoket.com]</a> of the Pokanoket Nation who are the ancestral peoples of the greater Tiverton and Fall River area. During King Phillip’s War, this land
was the site of <i>The Battle of Pocasset Swamp</i> in which both Sachem Weetamoo and King Phillip (Chief Metacomet) fought.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:black">“This land is significant as the ancestral heartbeat of the Pocasset Pokanoket people,” said Chief George Spring Buffalo, Chairman of the Pocasset Wampanoag
Tribe of the Pokanoket Nation. “This is the site of King Phillip’s War, one of the most devastating<w:Sdt SdtTag="goog_rdk_19" id="1156565031"> conflicts</w:Sdt> to native people in American history. We will create trails<w:Sdt SdtTag="goog_rdk_21" id="-743572293">,
explore the lands,</w:Sdt> and discover what our ancestors left us <w:Sdt SdtTag="goog_rdk_22" id="-32733675">
t</w:Sdt>here. DEM was an honest partner through this process, and we’re looking forward to more collaborations with them.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:black">“We are excited to be working in partnership with the Pocasset Pokanoket Tribe and believe firmly in this project and the public benefit of protecting the
Pocasset Cedar Swamp,” said DEM Director Terry Gray. “Rhode Islanders are proud to be a diverse people, with diverse cultures and we celebrate our tribal communities.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:black">The purchase price for the almost
<w:Sdt SdtTag="goog_rdk_30" id="-473749575"></w:Sdt>40-acre property was $60,000. A $40,000 grant committed in 2022 through DEM’s competitive
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><a href="https://dem.ri.gov/natural-resources-bureau/planning-development/grant-opportunities"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#0066FF">Local Open Space Grant
Program</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#0066FF">
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:black">was integral in financing the project. Funds for the Local Open Space Grant Program are made possible by
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><a href="https://dem.ri.gov/green-bond-2022-green-bond"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#0066FF">voter-approved Green Economy Bonds.</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#0066FF"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:black">This is the first portion of the Pocasset Cedar Swamp to be conserved in Rhode Island. The land in green, labeled Bears Den, is now owned by the Pocasset
Pokanoket Land Trust who are a tribal land trust established to protect ancestral tribal lands. Map Credit: Paul Jordan, DEM.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:black">Nearly 1,700 acres have been protected statewide through DEM’s Local Open Space Grant Program over the past five years alone, and nearly every town in the
state has received funding through the program over through over 200 grants administered since 1990, thanks to voter-approved bond measures.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">For more information on DEM programs and initiatives, visit
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><a href="http://www.dem.ri.gov/"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#0066FF">www.dem.ri.gov</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">.
Follow </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.facebook.com/RhodeIslandDEM__;!!KKphUJtCzQ!N7Yd93m3Wrpe7c-_CCkkRpbXFftV6VvAlrrzrBTRsoXf-suCdGOWQxaI3Wj7cilt0EzmQ3qVoK0VIBgrGka2x_vLl4IotrYUfGIg$"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#0066FF">DEM on Facebook</span> [facebook.com]</a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">,
Twitter/X (@RhodeIslandDEM), or Instagram (@rhodeisland.dem) for timely updates.
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#1F4E79;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><br>
Evan LaCross, MPA</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#1F4E79"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#1F4E79;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">Programming Services Officer, Public Information Officer<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#004678;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#767171;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">235 Promenade Street, Providence RI 02908</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#767171;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#767171;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">401-799-0100 (c)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><a href="mailto:evan.lacross@dem.ri.gov"><span style="font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif">evan.lacross@dem.ri.gov</span></a></span><span style="font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:gray;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">
</span><span style="font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#767171;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">(E);
</span><span style="mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><a href="http://www.dem.ri.gov/"><span style="font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#767171">www.dem.ri.gov</span></a></span><span style="font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#767171;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">
(W)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#767171;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/JKHsVOn/medialist__;!!KKphUJtCzQ!N7Yd93m3Wrpe7c-_CCkkRpbXFftV6VvAlrrzrBTRsoXf-suCdGOWQxaI3Wj7cilt0EzmQ3qVoK0VIBgrGka2x_vLl4IotvMEPAvC$">Sign up here [lp.constantcontactpages.com]</a></span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#767171;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">
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<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#0096D2;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">Follow DEM on
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</span><span style="color:#00B0F0">on</span> </i></span><span style="mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.instagram.com/rhodeisland.dem/__;!!KKphUJtCzQ!N7Yd93m3Wrpe7c-_CCkkRpbXFftV6VvAlrrzrBTRsoXf-suCdGOWQxaI3Wj7cilt0EzmQ3qVoK0VIBgrGka2x_vLl4Iotj4gYPSL$"><i><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#002060">Instagram</span></i> [instagram.com]</a></span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#002060;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">,</span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">
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