Rhode Island Becomes 49th State to Join the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) announced the addition of the bipartisan Rhode Island Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus – Co-Chaired by Senators Frank Lombardo and Gordon Rogers – to the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses (NASC). 

The Caucus will serve as the voice for sportsmen and women in the Ocean State, which is home to 179,000 hunters and anglers who contribute $154 million annually to the state’s economy. 

“CSF is pleased to add the newly formed Rhode Island Sportsmen’s Caucus to the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses – a network of pro-sportsmen legislators,” said CSF President Jeff Crane. “We look forward to working closely with the Caucus’s bipartisan leadership on ensuring public access for hunters and anglers throughout the state.”

“Rhode Island’s hunters and anglers purchase approximately 70,000 licenses each year, and they generate more than $235 million for our state’s economy,” said Sen. Lombardo. “I look forward to working with the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses to advance Rhode Island’s rich hunting and angling traditions.”

Staffed through CSF, and guided by a bipartisan Executive Council of state legislators, NASC facilitates communication between sportsmen’s caucuses across the country, and plays a critical role in protecting and advancing the interests of sportsmen and women at the state level. This national network creates valuable educational opportunities for state legislators to receive input from the sportsmen’s community and related stakeholders on policies affecting hunting, angling, recreational shooting, trapping, and other conservation issues.

With the addition of Rhode Island, the NASC network now includes legislative sportsmen’s caucuses in 49 states, with a combined membership of over 2,000 legislators. Since its creation in 2004, NASC has more than doubled in size and has become an effective and recognized group of bipartisan pro-sportsmen legislators across the nation.

DEM STOCKING RHODE ISLAND PONDS WITH SEBAGO SALMON AND TIGER TROUT FOR FREE FRESHWATER FISHING DAYS MAY 4-5

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

DEM STOCKING RHODE ISLAND PONDS WITH SEBAGO SALMON AND TIGER TROUT FOR FREE FRESHWATER FISHING DAYS MAY 4-5

PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) announces that

Saturday, May 4, and Sunday, May 5, are Free Fishing Days in Rhode Island. Rhode Islanders and visitors alike can fish in the state's freshwaters on both days for all species of freshwater fish, without a fishing license or trout conservation stamp. The free fishing weekend does not apply to saltwater fishing or saltwater licenses.

 

Beginning on Monday, April 29, DEM will begin a supplemental spring trout stocking; brook, brown, and rainbow trout will be stocked in 46 locations across the state, and Sebago salmon and tiger trout will be stocked in select locations statewide.

“Freshwater fishing is an important part of our culture and economy in Rhode Island, and we’re proud to support it through our stocking program so that anglers can have fun catching the beautiful hatchery-raised trout and salmon we've stocked in fishing areas across the state for this free event,” said DEM Director Janet Coit.  “After a fabulous Opening Day, we are pleased to continue to offer anglers special fishing experiences in Rhode Island this spring. We encourage people of all ages to visit a favorite fishing spot on free fishing weekend and make some new memories!” 

New this year and for the first time, DEM is stocking Sebago salmon, a landlocked variety of Atlantic salmon averaging two- to two-and-a-half-pounds for Free Fishing Weekend. There is a two-fish limit for salmon which must be part of the overall five-fish limit for trout and salmon. Sebago salmon are being stocked in the following six ponds:

• Watchaug Pond, Charlestown
• Carbuncle Pond, Coventry
• Olney Pond, Lincoln Woods State Park, Lincoln
• Meadowbrook Pond, Richmond
• Barber Pond, South Kingstown
• Stafford Pond, Tiverton

 

Also, tiger trout, a hybrid of brook and brown trout and first introduced last spring, are being stocked in the following three ponds for this special fishing weekend:

• Shippee Sawmill Pond, Foster
• Silver Spring Lake, North Kingstown
• Melville Pond, Portsmouth

 

  

CONSTRUCTION OF NEW ROCKY POINT FISHING PIER SET TO START

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Pier will provide saltwater fishing access 10 miles from Providence

 

PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) and Warwick Mayor Joseph J. Solomon announce that construction of a new timber fishing pier will begin soon at the iconic Rocky Point State Park in Warwick. Financed by RI Capital Plan and Green Economy Bond funding, the $1.8 million project is expected to be completed by December and will provide anglers of all abilities with access to one of the state's prime fishing areas.

 

“Expanding shoreline and fishing access is core to our mission at DEM and we’re thrilled that the new pier will enable anglers, regardless of their physical abilities, to experience the joy and bounty of fishing on Narragansett Bay,” said DEM Director Janet Coit. “I hope that the public will benefit from this recreational investment and asset for decades to come.”

 

“Rocky Point is a crown jewel of Warwick and Rhode Island and it’s been wonderful to see so many people enjoying the park once again,” said Mayor Solomon. “As Council President, I was proud to work cooperatively with DEM to make sure the pier would be reconstructed. It’s a terrific addition to all the improvements that have been made at Rocky Point. It will stand as a symbol of the rich history of the park and our maritime heritage while offering people another way to access our beautiful Bay.”

The new fishing pier will feature a 280-foot-long, T-shaped pier with a shade structure, benches, railings, and solar lighting. Railing heights will vary to allow people of all ages and abilities to enjoy access to Narragansett Bay.

 

The completed project will provide saltwater fishing access less than 10 miles from Downtown Providence, advancing a key element of this coastal public park. The fishing pier will complement a variety of recreational opportunities at Rocky Point State Park, including walking, bird-watching, rock climbing, the RI Saltwater Anglers Association’s Youth Fishing Camp (slated for June 25-27 this year), DEM’s popular “Come Clam With Me” workshops, and open spaces for picnics as well as family-focused events like Food Truck Nights and Movie Nights run by the City and other gatherings.

 

Located along Warwick Neck and overlooking Narragansett Bay, the 124-acre Rocky Point State Park property is one of Rhode Island's most beloved natural assets and has a 150+ year history of being a popular summer attraction for Rhode Islanders and visitors. Over the decades, attractions at Rocky Point have come and gone – nature trails, a ferry pier, the end of a trolley line running from Providence through Buttonwoods and Oakland Beach, an observation tower, hotels, clambakes, restaurants, swimming pool, rides, games, and concerts – but the attraction of publicly accessible land so close to Providence has been a consistent draw since 1850.

 

In March 2013, DEM acquired 83 acres at the site of the former Rocky Point amusement park, creating Rhode Island’s newest state park. The state’s parcel was integrated with the 41 acres of shoreline at Rocky Point that was bought by the City of Warwick with the help of state and federal funding in 2007. The now-dilapidated pier at the site once served as a means of bringing people to the former amusement park by boat. Photographers frequently capture images of the pier remnants against backdrops of sunrises or sea smoke.

 

After a competitive bidding process, ACK Marine & General Contracting LLC of Quincy, MA, was awarded the construction contract. The project is another example of Governor Raimondo’s and DEM’s commitment to invest in Rhode Island's system of parks and beaches – which, according to a recent study, rank 1st in visits per park acre but 47th in state spending per visit. DEM is leading the Governor’s multi-year initiative to increase staffing at state parks and beaches, offer new amenities to users, adopt best practices, engage further with partners, and do more to realize the opportunities afforded by this magnificent system. Rhode Island's natural and public assets are magnets, attracting more than 9 million Rhode Islanders and tourists a year. They're also an engine that adds an estimated $315 million to the economy, generating nearly $40 million in state and local taxes and supporting nearly 4,000 jobs a year. However, more visitors (a 37% increase in beach visitation from 2010 to 2017), far fewer employees (full-time staffing in DEM's Parks and Recreation Division has dropped by 67%, to 42 FTEs from 123, since 1989), longer seasons, and aging facilities are hindering DEM's ability to meet some park users' expectations.

 

Experts to Discuss Whales in Provincetown

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

PROVINCETOWN – The Provincetown Public Library and Center for Coastal Studies will host a conversation about whales April, 24,2019 at  6 pm Thursday evening.

“Where the Whales Are: Past, Present, Future” will feature local experts discussing the regions of the ocean that are most important to whales.

The panelists will explore the past and current distributions of whale species common to Cape Cod, threats they face and conservation efforts.

The discussion is at 6 p.m. at the Center for Coastal Studies.

First Right Whale Calf of 2019 Spotted in Cape Cod Bay

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

PROVINCETOWN – The first right whale calf of 2019 has been spotted in Cape Cod Bay.

The Center for Coastal Studies (CCS) said that on Sunday, April 7, its aerial survey team spotted the calf alongside its mot

her in Cape Cod Bay. The sighting heralds the arrival of the 2019 calves to their feeding grounds here in the northeast.

“It’s always very exciting to see the mothers and calves. The calves are of course coming up with their moms up along the east coast. This is a whale that was seen in the southeast by colleagues who fly down there,” said CCS Senior Scientist Charles “Stormy” Mayo.

The calf was first sighted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) on January 17 in the calving grounds of the southeastern US. It’s the third of seven known mom-calf pairs of the season.

Herrick’s Cove Wildlife Festival on May 5

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Photo credit Tom Rogers

If you’re a wildlife enthusiast itching for spring then be sure to check out the nineteenth annual Herrick’s Cove Wildlife Festival on Sunday, May 5, in Rockingham, Vermont, presented by the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department and Ascutney Mountain Audubon Society.

 

Herrick’s Cove, on the Connecticut River, hosts one of the most popular festivals in the area, with organizers reporting close to 2,000 people normally attending.  The festival includes a turtle walk with herpetologist Jim Andrews, a bug walk with Michael Sabourin, live hawks and owls, bird banding, a butterfly program, fishing activities with the department’s Let’s Go Fishing program, and several exhibits about fish and wildlife.

 

“Vermonters really enjoy the wild animals and wild places that make the state so special,” said Forrest Hammond, bear project leader with Vermont Fish & Wildlife.  “This festival gives participants a chance to learn about our native wildlife and learn about the importance of conserving their habitats so future generations can appreciate them as well.”

 

Activities are scheduled from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  The suggested donation is $2.00 for an individual and $5.00 for a family.  Pets are not allowed. 

 

Herrick’s Cove is located just off Route 5, less than three miles north of Bellows Falls.