For more on MAKING PROGRESS 2008 - SEE THE TIMES' FRIDAY EDITION

By MATT WUNSCH

  

SOUTH KINGSTOWN— Now celebrating 25 years as a private, local, non-profit charitable organization, the  South Kingstown Land Trust (SKLT) works with local, state and federal government agencies—along with national groups like the Nature Conservancy—to preserve and protect open space, farmlands,  woodlands, coastal ponds and scenic vistas.

  

Their work also  includes negotiating with and helping to expedite donations from land owners who want to see their property remain unspoiled by  development and subdivision, according to Joanne Riccitelli, Director  of Land Protection at SKLT.

She said the organization has acquired ownership or conservation rights of over 2,200 acres of natural  resource lands with over 120 projects repre senting more than $9  million in donated and purchased value.

 “Basically, land trusts work  to conserve important open spaces and natural land for a variety of purposes,” said Riccitelli at the offices of SKLT located above All  That Matters on Main Street. 

“We work on protecting wildlife habitat,  land that’s important for groundwater so our drinking water stays clean  enough to drink, and protecting farmland, which has become more and  more important as people place emphasis on safe, local foods.”

Riccitelli noted the Rhody Fresh brand of milk from Rhode Island’s  dairy farmers, as an example of a local organization that with  assistance from land trusts,  delivers a fresh product while  helping to preserve local farms, pastures and wide-open spaces for generations to come.   

 There is also the aesthetic of  towns like South Kingstown to consider. While it has been developed significantly in recent years—South County Commons comes to mind—there are still some beautiful places here that SKLT wants to see  stay that way.

 “We work to keep it this special place that it has  been and to keep some of the rural character and scenic attributes in place,” Riccitelli said. “There are a variety of reasons to protect a piece of land, but it all comes down to having a sense of place that is  South Kingstown.”

 A prime example of some of the work SKLT does can be seen at Weeden Farm, located right off of Matunuck Beach Road. 

If you drive by and see people working on the stone wall of the property,  working on the land itself, or at the SKLT Barn, chances are they are  part of the organization helping to restore and preserve Weeden Farm, which was donated by previous owner Mabel Smith.

“That’s been a big effort over the last two summers, restoring the stone wall at Weeden Farm,” said Ricittelli. “That’s part of what managing the land is all  about. Getting it protected is a lot of work, but managing the land is equally important, whether it’s fighting back invasive species or  establishing and monitoring trails, making sure people don’t encroach  on properties. . . there’s a lot of management involved and that’s a big job. And most of that is done by (SKLT Land Management Director)  Clark Collins.”

Volunteers and members are also an integral part of the South Kingstown Land Trust, accord-ing to Riccitelli.  

“We depend on our member-ship for our operational sup-port,” she said.  “We have just come out with a newsletter, but the easiest way for  people to find out about us is through our web site.”

For more information on South Kingstown Land Trust, call 789-0962 or visit  www.sklt.org. Through the site, you can find maps, trails, information  on protected lands, and how to become a volunteer or member.