TRANSCRIPT:
This transcript has been edited for length and clarity.
Luis Hernandez: On Nov. 5, Rhode Island voters will have the opportunity to weigh in on five statewide ballot questions. In the weeks leading up to Election Day, we’ll be covering each of those questions in-depth. This time, we focus on question four, which asks voters to approve a $53 million green bond. The measure includes funding to improve waterways, farm and land conservation, outdoor recreation and green infrastructure. Here to talk more about it is Kate Sayles, executive director of the Rhode Island Land Trust Council. Kate, I appreciate the time. Thank you.
Kate Sayles: Thank you so much, Luis. Happy to be here.
Hernandez: Tell us about this $53 million green bond. What specific projects is this going to actually support?
Sayles: The green bond, question four, will invest $5 million in Rhode Island’s working farms, ensuring that those small farms businesses have their lands preserved and they can remain viable farms into the future. We have $3 million allocated for a state open space program. That is the program that works to protect forest land, watersheds, recreational areas, and ensure that Rhode Islanders have access to clean air, clean water, flood mitigation, open spots for recreation. We have the local recreation program, which is $5 million to improve our parks, our playgrounds, athletic fields. The forest health and habitat portion of the bond is $5 million that will go towards making sure our state forests are healthy. We have $15 million in infrastructure to improve Quonset’s Port of Davisville, which will go towards modernization and accommodations for offshore wind development. We also have $3 million to restore access along the iconic Newport cliff walk. The improvements will protect the cliff walk from coastal erosion and severe weather. We have over $12 million set aside for both coastal and municipal resilience. That’s a really important program that allows communities across the state to be resilient to climate change. And finally, we have $5 million to clean up our brownfields to make our former industrial areas better places that can be redeveloped across the state. There’s a lot going on in the green bond.
Hernandez: There’s been a steep rise in the cost of farmland in recent years. Why is farmland so expensive in Rhode Island, and how will the farmland preservation program help make farmland across the state more affordable?
Sayles: We have the most expensive farmland in the entire country. And a lot of that has to do with the fact that a good portion of our farmland was developed through the 80s. We made some good strides as a state by saying our farmland is important, and we want to invest in making sure we’re preserving it into the future. By investing $5 million into the farmland preservation program, what that actually does is unlock additional federal and philanthropic funds to sort of go farther in how we’re able to do farmland conservation. We also, by conserving farmland, are able to reduce the cost of that farmland to farmers that want to buy it in the future. So we work not only on farmland preservation, we work on making sure that that farmland is accessible for farmers in the future. Like Steer Orchard in Smithfield, which was protected in part due to a bond issue in one of the last green bonds, or Lucky Foot Ranch in North Kingstown. Those farms are protected and those families are going to continue working on them into the future providing healthy food to their communities.
Hernandez: When Gov. McKee unveiled his initial proposal for this green bond question over the winter, it included no funding for open space and forest preservation programs. Were you surprised?
Sayles: I was a bit surprised, and I think lots of the members of the conservation community were as well, and I think members of the General Assembly were, too. We all sort of got together and worked really hard to figure out what would be an appropriate amount of funding for farmland protection, forest conservation, and open space. Thanks to the leadership of Rep. Megan Cotter and Sen. Lou DePalma and lots of members of the General Assembly, we were able to work to get $13 million in conservation programs added to this green bond. I feel really confident about the work that we’ll be able to do with that funding.
Hernandez: As you know, Rhode Island is facing a major housing crisis. Some people might argue that land preservation efforts might pose an obstacle to the state’s housing needs. How do you respond to that?
Sayles: I think that over the last few years, conservation organizations have been making lots of good connections with housing and affordable housing organizations to try to figure out how we can work together and look at land use to make sure that all Rhode Islanders have access to safe, affordable, and healthy places to live, but also have access to the clean air and the clean water and the local farmland and outdoor recreation spaces that we all need and deserve. So it’s not one versus the other. That’s also going to include all of the other things we need to make this happen, whether that be walkable cities or public transportation or energy. We need to be working together to make sure we get all things done the right way.
Hernandez: Has there been strong opposition to question four?
Sayles: Not that I’m really aware of. These programs are pretty much only funded through bond issues, so if we aren’t able to pass this or see this get over the finish line, it will slow down a lot of our progress in thinking about land and water conservation. So it is really critical that Rhode Islanders, when they go to the ballot on Nov. 5 or before, take the time to vote yes on four.
Hernandez: If question four is approved, what specifically happens next? What’s the first thing to happen?
Sayles: A lot of the conservation programs that we are discussing funding today, those are buckets that will be replenished within DEM. So at least for the Farmland Preservation Fund, there is a list of about 40 farms that have been pre-approved for conservation. Those funding sources will be looked at and will be allocated based on federal, state, and municipal match. Same thing goes for the open space program. I know that the $5 million for forest health will give the state of Rhode Island a really big boost in what they’re able to do around forest health and planning, how to think about our forests, whether that be invasive species management or wildlife habitat restoration. There is an internal list in every single one of these categories that’s sort of ready to go with projects that will move forward as soon as we have funding ready to go.
Hernandez: I’ve been speaking with Kate Sayles, executive director of the Rhode Island Land Trust Council. Kate, I appreciate the insight. Thank you so much.
Sayles: Thank you, Luis. I hope you have a great day.
You can find our breakdown of ballot question one here, on whether Rhode Island should hold a constitutional convention; learn more about question two here, on whether to support capital improvements at URI and RIC; and learn about question three here, on whether to approve a $120 million housing bond. Go here to see how all five state referenda questions will appear on the ballot.
Early voting is underway in Rhode Island. While the voter registration deadline has passed, the state allows for same-day, in person voter registration – but you will only be able to vote for president and vice president.
Election 2024 coverage by The Public’s Radio is sponsored in part by Ascent Audiology & Hearing, Providence Picture Frame and Rustigian Rugs. Find more of our elections coverage at thepublicsradio.org/2024elections, including voting guides for Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
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