Rhode Island NRCS Delivers Conservation Assistance, Healthier Natural Resources in 2025

Highlights of our accomplishments can be found in our newly-released Rhode Island NRCS 2025 Annual Accomplishments Summary.

"We and our partners are continuing our commitment to our farmers, woodland owners, and aquaculture growers to advance conservation, strengthen service delivery, and support food production across the Ocean State," said Acting NRCS State Conservationist Thomas L. Morgart.

NRCS helps our clients and partners put conservation on the ground. We offer a variety of practices including cover crops, tree planting, composting facilities, pasture & hay planting, oyster reef restoration, wildlife habitat planting, efficient irrigation systems, and soil health testing.

All NRCS programs are voluntary. We provide financial and technical assistance to help farmers and woodland owners apply or maintain conservation practices on eligible land. Here are some highlights of our work last year.

Investments in Planning, Farm Bill Programs, and Emergency Watershed Protection

In 2025, NRCS and our partners supported land managers with 256 new contracts totaling more than $12.7 million. These investments led to conservation plans for over 7,700 acres of farm and forest land. An additional $5 million helped apply conservation practices on more than 15,000 acres across Rhode Island.

Targeted Conservation

In 2025, NRCS focused on protecting Rhode Island's most valuable natural resources. With help from our partners, we improved environmental quality on more than 10,720 acres, applied forest conservation practices on 3,730 acres, enhanced soil health on 872 acres of cropland, and improved wildlife habitat on over 6,900 acres.

Disaster Assistance

NRCS continued to provide technical and financial assistance through the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program to repair watershed damage from severe storm events. This year, NRCS completed two post-Hurricane Ida EWP buyout and restoration projects and two streambank stabilization projects along the Woonasquatucket River. These achievements were made possible by NRCS staff, contractors, and EWP sponsors (Northern Rhode Island Conservation District and East Providence, Johnston, Middletown, and Providence municipalities). We also advanced design and implementation plans for the Wood-Pawcatuck, Pocasset, and Woonasquatucket River watersheds.

For more information on NRCS programs, activities and our accomplishments in 2025, download our Rhode Island NRCS 2025 Annual Accomplishments Summaryor visit www.RI.nrcs.usda.gov.

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