Greetings to all our customers, partners and staff.

I want to send out special Thanks to all NRCS and District staff for the fantastic job that you do serving the people of Rhode Island. Thank you and I very much appreciate you all.

I want to wish everyone a very Happy New Year from your friends and partners at NRCS! Wishing you a happy, healthy and prosperous 2024.

R. Phou “Pooh” Vongkhamdy
NRCS Rhode Island State Conservationist

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The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) helps municipalities to recover after natural disasters. The NRCS Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program offers technical and financial assistance to repair post-storm sites that pose an imminent threat to life and property.

Examples of common EWP projects include repairing damaged streambanks or channels that threaten infrastructure (roads, pipelines, etc.) and removing debris that is blocking bridges and culverts. While NRCS may fund projects on private and public land through the EWP Program, a public sponsor (usually the town or city) is required to cover 25% of the eligible construction costs and the operation and maintenance of the site post-installation.

For more information on the Emergency Watershed Protection Program or to speak to someone about potential projects in your area, please contact Darrell Moore, Rhode Island NRCS State Conservation Engineer, at darrell.moore@usda.gov, 401-822-8812 (office) or 401-450-4337 (mobile). Learn more...

Sign up by Feb. 16, 2024, to be eligible for the second round of fiscal year 2024 funding

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Rhode Island announces a second application sign up period for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP).

ACEP helps landowners, land trusts, and other entities protect, restore, and enhance wetlands or protect farmland and ranchland through conservation easements. ACEP has two components:

• Agricultural Land Easements (ALE) help private and tribal landowners, land trusts, and other entities like state and local governments to protect croplands and grasslands on working farms and ranches by limiting non-agricultural uses of the land through conservation easements. Agricultural land easements can protect the long-term viability of Rhode Island’s food supply by preventing conversion of productive farmland to non-agricultural uses.
• Wetland Reserve Easements (WRE) help private and tribal landowners protect, restore and enhance wetlands that have been previously degraded due to agricultural uses. Wetland easements enhance and protect habitat for wildlife, reduce flooding impacts, recharge groundwater, protect biological diversity, and provide outdoor recreational and educational opportunities. 

NRCS accepts applications for conservation programs year-round but sets state-specific ranking dates to evaluate applications for funding. Easement applications that meet eligibility and ranking criteria in targeted areas that are received by February 16, 2024, will be considered for this second round of fiscal year 2024 funding. Applications received after this ranking date will be automatically deferred to the next funding period. Call your local NRCS Field Office or Conservation District Office (see listing below) for more information or download an application from www.nrcs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2022-10/CPA-1200_Conservation_Program_Application.pdf.

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NRCS Rhode Island State Conservationist, R. Phou Vongkhamdy, is pleased to announce the recipients of fiscal year 2023 Conservation Innovation Grants for Rhode Island. Two projects were selected from a total of 6 submissions.

“Through CIG, NRCS seeks projects that demonstrate, evaluate and quantify the effects of conservation practices, systems and strategies to protect and improve natural resources in Rhode Island,” said Vongkhamdy.

The two awarded projects focus on developing and demonstrating cutting-edge ideas to further advance innovation in resource conservation on private lands in the Ocean State. The Fiscal Year 2023 Rhode Island CIG awardees and projects are:

• Eastern Rhode Island Conservation District (ERICD) for “Micro-State Microclover: A trial of microclovers, Trifolium Repens vars. Pirouette, Pippolina, Black Beauty impacts on inputs within small scale diversified vegetable farms in Rhode Island.”
• A-Team Coastal LLC Rhody Wild Sea Gardens for “Developing an EQIP Kelp (Saccharina latissima) Restoration Practice in Rhode Island Waters: Where, when, and how kelp aquaculture can be optimized to maximize ecosystem services.”

Learn more...

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Are You a Community Gardener or Farming in an Urban Environment?

While many people might not consider Rhode Island when they think of “urban agriculture,” there is help available for Rhode Islanders who are farming or gardening in our cities and suburbs.

From community gardens to indoor vertical farms, urban agriculture provides critical access to healthy food for local communities, as well as jobs, green spaces, and closer community ties. Urban agriculture includes the cultivation, processing, and distribution of agricultural products in urban and suburban areas. Community gardens, rooftop farms, hydroponic, aeroponic and aquaponic facilities, and vertical production, are all examples of urban agriculture. Tribal communities and small towns may also be included.

Urban agriculture does not have to be strictly in an “urban” or city setting like downtown Providence; small farms and suburban farmers and growers also are eligible to participate in urban agriculture programs with NRCS. Anyone can sign up for assistance to apply small-scale and urban agriculture conservation practices, no matter where they are in the Ocean State.

From the Ground Up

Running an urban farm comes with a unique set of challenges and opportunities, and NRCS helps farmers care for the natural resources on their land – soil, water, air, plants, and animals.

NRCS provides technical and financial assistance to growers in:

• Soil Health – As experts in soil health, NRCS conservationists can advise urban growers on what cover crops to grow, using farmers’ soil tests and our soil surveys.
• Irrigation and Water Conservation – We can help urban growers conserve water by helping with things like drip irrigation.
• Weeds and Pests – We can help with pest and weed management by planting buffers for beneficial insects, through mulching, using cover crops and other practices.
• High Tunnels – NRCS can provide financial assistance for high tunnels, used to extend the growing season and to protect plants from harsh weather, air pollution and pests. By making local produce available for more months in the year, fewer resources are used to transport food to plates.

Getting Started

You can meet face-to-face with staff at your local USDA Service Center to discuss your vision, goals, and ways USDA can help, or you can reach out to us by phone or email. Our conservationists can offer options and strategies for implementing urban agriculture, and you can find out if it is the right fit for your operation. Call your local NRCS Field Office or Conservation District Office (see listing below) for more information.

USDA serves all agriculture – large to small, conventional to organic, rural to urban. As agriculture continues to grow in new directions, USDA is growing along with it. By bringing opportunities to both rural and urban areas, we address many needs, including restoring the health of the soil and restoring the health of people.

Call NRCS Rhode Island today to see how we can help you help your land!

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NRCS welcomes Marina Capraro as our new Rhode Island RCPP Program Manager. Marina (she/her) is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island, and holds a B.S. in Environmental Science & Management. She has a variety of experience interfacing with partners, participating in environmental policy and programs at all levels of government, and successfully implementing projects with various audiences and stakeholders. She has worked in municipal government and as a partner planner for NRICD. Her primary focus in recent years has been on the implementation of forestland easements through the NRCS Regional Conservation Partnership Program and watershed-level conservation planning.

NRCS welcomes Fabian Carmona Ortega as our new Rhode Island Business Tools Coordinator/ GIS Specialist. Fabian is a graduate of the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus, and holds a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Mechanics and Technology and a master’s degree in Agronomy. He joined NRCS in 2012 as an intern under the SCEP program in North Dakota. Since then, Fabian has worked in multiple NRCS field offices in North Dakota, Illinois and most recently as a Natural Resources Specialist with Rhode Island’s NRCS State Office. While working as a Soil Conservation Technician in Illinois, Fabian helped design and install engineering practices like grassed waterways alongside experienced area engineers and technicians, helped train other employees to complete surveys and designs, and developed new data processing tools and workflows to improve efficiency. In RI, Fabian has focused on easement monitoring, tool development and technical assistance with business tools. 

NRCS welcomes Crystal Lavin as our new Soil Conservationist for the Eastern RI Field Office. Crystal was born and raised in Virginia Beach, Virginia. She began her career in the United States Navy in 2014 and served 4 years overseas. In 2018 after her honorable discharge, she moved to Rhode Island earned a degree in Environmental Science and Management at the University of Rhode Island. Crystal found her love for ecology and entomology while working for URI's Biocontrol Lab, managing and mitigating invasive species in New England. Her work with invasive species led to her career with USDA. She joined APHIS in Connecticut as a plant protection technician, surveying, monitoring, and controlling the newly emerging invasive Spotted Lanternfly. However, Crystal began to feel a strong desire to give back to her communities more, and so joined NRCS as a Soil Conservation Technician in 2022. Crystal now uses her degree (which focused on soil science, hydrology, and conservation) to help local farmers achieve their goals while addressing environmental concerns.

NRCS welcomes Esther Ermlick as our new Soil Conservation Technician. Esther grew up in the Pennsylvania Poconos with her mother and four siblings. They spent a lot of time together outside playing in the woods, riding bikes, and taking walks. Inside days included watching movies and playing board games, which continues when she visits with the family. Esther graduated from Kutztown University with a degree in Geography with an interest in conservation. After graduation she joined USDA APHIS to work with the Spotted Lanternfly Program. In 2021, she transferred to the Asian Long-horned Beetle program in Worcester, Massachusetts. She is enjoying exploring the New England area, sightseeing different places and taking walks at various trails and parks with her Jack Russell, Nova. 

January 10-12, 2024, Northeast Aquaculture Conference & Expo, Omni Providence Hotel, 1 West Exchange Street, Providence, RI. 

January 27, 2024. RIRC&D Zoom Workshop with Forensic Forester, Tom Wessels. Register with RIRC&D at 401-500-0399 or rircd2283@gmail.com.

February 6, 2024, 6:00 p.m. Eastern RI Conservation District Local Working Group Meeting, Greenvale Vineyards, 582 Wapping Rd., Portsmouth, RI.

February 27, 2024. RIRC&D Evergreens of Rhode Island Webinar. Register with RIRC&D at 401-500-0399 or rircd2283@gmail.com.