2021 -- S 0039

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2021

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S E N A T E   R E S O L U T I O N

PROTECTING AND ENSURING FARMLAND PRESERVATION

     Introduced By: Senators DiPalma, Sosnowski, Rogers, Euer, and Valverde

     Date Introduced: January 19, 2021

     Referred To: Senate Environment & Agriculture

     WHEREAS, Productive farmland is being converted to other uses because its

development value can exceed its value for agricultural purposes; and

     WHEREAS, Agriculture is an important part of the state's economy, environment, and

quality of life; and

     WHEREAS, Local food production has become increasingly important to the people of

the State; and

     WHEREAS, The amount of good farmland has declined so dramatically that a

comprehensive program, the Farmland Preservation Act, was initiated by the State to preserve the

State’s remaining farmland; and

     WHEREAS, Rhode Island's policymakers enacted additional legislation and implemented

numerous regulations over the past decade to protect and safeguard the State’s farmland; and

     WHEREAS, These laws and regulations have helped preserve the State's farmland; and

     WHEREAS, The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM)

serves as the chief steward of the State’s agricultural resources and has diligently worked with

myriad partners to preserve, restore and protect the State’s farmlands; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island hereby recognizes that land

suitable for food production in the State has become an extremely scarce and valuable resource;

and be it further

     RESOLVED, That this Senate hereby respectfully requests the Rhode Island Department

of Environmental Management to ensure that land that is or has been used for agricultural

operations is further protected, and that when agricultural land is also used for fish and wildlife

purposes, ensure that the fish and wildlife purposes are not detrimental to the agricultural

purposes and operations, and are not detrimental to the land’s agricultural productivity, and that

the fish and wildlife uses be limited to the non-growing season to wit, limit fish and wildlife

purposes to dates between November 1 and March 31 each year, so as not to interfere with the

growing season; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Janet L. Coit, Director, Rhode Island

Department of Environmental Management.

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