The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) is preparing to start a forest management project aimed at lowering wildfire risk in the Big River Management Area, which covers 8,300 acres across Coventry and West Greenwich. Work is scheduled to begin next week, depending on weather conditions. Professional wood operators will thin dense tree cover and clear brush along at least two miles of forestland near fire roads to help prevent wildfires from spreading and to improve access for emergency responders.
The approach involves creating “shaded fuel breaks,” areas where foresters remove fuels such as brush, shrubs, and dead branches while leaving many mature, healthy trees in place. Unlike traditional firebreaks that remove all vegetation, shaded fuel breaks maintain much of the forest canopy but reduce ground-level materials that could feed a wildfire. This method aims to slow down fires and limit their severity by keeping understory conditions cooler and moister.
“We have two main goals by taking steps to thin and manage these areas now,” said DEM Division of Agriculture and Forest Environment Deputy Chief Tee Jay Boudreau. “First is protecting people and property by reducing the risk of a wildfire spreading on state lands. Just as important, we want to make it safer and easier for fire departments to fight wildfires if they do happen.”
Funding for this project comes from $3 million allocated for forest health initiatives through the 2022 Green Bond approved by voters. The region has experienced several active wildfire seasons recently. In 2024, southern New England had an unusually severe fall fire season; Rhode Island reported 75 wildfires between October 18 and November 19 alone. In 2023, DEM recorded 78 wildfires affecting 582 acres statewide, including major incidents like the Congdon Mill Fire in West Greenwich (nearly 196 acres) and the Queen’s River fire in Exeter (286 acres), both among the largest in decades.
For more information about DEM programs or updates on this project, visit www.dem.ri.gov or follow DEM on Facebook, Twitter (@RhodeIslandDEM), or Instagram (@rhodeisland.dem).
