2025 -- S 0993

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LC002575

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025

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S E N A T E   R E S O L U T I O N

DESIGNATING MAY OF 2025 AS “RHODE ISLAND NATIVE PLANT MONTH”

     Introduced By: Senator V. Susan Sosnowski

     Date Introduced: April 28, 2025

     Referred To: Placed on the Senate Consent Calendar

     WHEREAS, Native plants support local ecosystems, providing habitat and food for

wildlife, help maintain soil and water quality and are crucial for a balanced and sustainable

environment; and

     WHEREAS, Rhode Island is home to more than 1300 native plant species, which include

trees, shrubs, vines, grasses, and wildflowers; and

     WHEREAS, Rhode Island's native plant species provide food, such as nectar, pollen,

seeds, and foliage, and prime habitat, including essential shelter and nesting sites, for various

types of wildlife in the State in ways that non-native plants cannot, making the expanded

cultivation of native plants in Rhode Island a viable and effective means by which the State can

both preserve its existing wildlife habitats and populations and effectively offset and mitigate any

prior losses in wildlife habitat or populations that have occurred in the State as a result of

development; and

     WHEREAS, Native plants are well-adapted to Rhode Island's soils, wetlands,

temperatures, precipitation, and environmental conditions; and, consequently, are the best at

conserving and protecting our environment against flooding and erosion while maintaining and

restoring the State's air, water, and soil quality; and

     WHEREAS, Native plants are vital to Rhode Island's biodiversity and enable the State's

wildlife to prosper; and

     WHEREAS, Native plants incorporated into the landscaping in our yards and

communities help increase the amount of habitat available to our native wildlife and are necessary

for biodiversity and a healthy ecosystem, and require far fewer fertilizers, soil amendments, or

pesticides, and use less water than conventional landscapes; and

     WHEREAS, On May 3, 2023, the 118th Congress passed Senate Resolution 152,

declaring May as "National Native Plant Month”; and

     WHEREAS, According to U.S. Senate Resolution 152, "native plants are indigenous

species that have evolved and occur naturally in a particular region, ecosystem, and habitat” and

“are essential components of resilient ecosystems and the natural heritage of the United States";

and

     WHEREAS, According to Rhode Island's Native Plant Society, native plants preserve our

rich biological heritage; and provide shelter, as well as nectar, pollen, and seeds that serve as food

for native butterflies, insects, birds, and other wildlife in ways that non-native plants cannot

provide; provide diversity in form, texture, and color to fit any landscape style and are hardy and

easy to grow once established; and

     WHEREAS, It is important to recognize the value of Rhode Island's native plants and

encourage public awareness of the many benefits they provide to Rhode Island's economy, to

pollinators, and the health of Rhode Island's environment; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island hereby designates May of

2025 as "Rhode Island Native Plant Month" in order to preserve the heritage and the importance

of native plants for clean air, water, and soil stability in the State of Rhode Island; and be it

further

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

of Environmental Management (DEM) to urge all citizens to educate themselves about the

importance and history of Rhode Island's native plants and the many benefits they provide to

pollinators, and to preserve Rhode Island's biological heritage in aiding in the prevention of

flooding and erosion and maintaining and preserving the health of Rhode Island's economy and

environment; 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 Terrence Gray, Director of the Rhode Island

Department of Environmental Management.

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