RI SEEKING PROPOSALS TO FARM PARCELS OF STATE-OWNED LAND IN SOUTH KINGSTOWN, TIVERTON, AND COVENTRY

Interested Parties Must Submit Proposals by February 24th

 

PROVIDENCE – The Department of Environmental Management (DEM) announces that proposals to lease certain parcels of state-owned land in South Kingstown, Tiverton, and Coventry for farming purposes are now being solicited by the state.  Use of the parcels will be restricted to the raising and harvesting of agricultural products, and the lands may not be used for any other purpose.

 

Request for Proposals was issued today for the following parcels: 

•             South Shore Management Area - Field 3 (Ford Tract), South Kingstown, RI, 23 acres 

•             Sapowet Management Area - Babbitt Parcel, Tiverton, RI, 23 acres

•             Nicholas Farm – Place Unit, Coventry RI, 23 acres

 

DEM owns numerous parcels that were acquired for the benefit of wildlife conservation and public recreation. DEM’s Division of Fish & Wildlife (DFW) is tasked with sustaining viable populations of fish and wildlife and providing hunting opportunity at properties acquired for such purpose. The DFW uses agricultural lease agreements as a management tool to provide wildlife habitat and to create hunting opportunity. 

 

In general, the successful bidder pays a per acre fee to the Department each year to plant and harvest annual crops between March 1 and September 25 or October 1 of each year, for a five-year term. The successful bidder is required to plant and/or leave standing a small portion of crops for wildlife habitat and to plant a cover crop of winter rye, immediately following harvest of the principal crop. After the lease period of each year, the property reverts back to the Department for use by the general public for recreation purposes. 

 

Proposals will be received by the State of Rhode Island, Department of Administration, Division of Purchases, One Capitol Hill, Providence, RI 02908 on behalf of DEM until Wednesday, February 24 at 10:00 a.m. at which time they will be publicly acknowledged only. Proposals should clearly reference the RFP # 7611830.

 

Questions concerning this solicitation must be emailed This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. no later than 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 18; all questions and responses will be posted on the Division of Purchases website as an amendment to the RFP on February 19.

 

The full RFP, along with a Proposal Offer Form, is available at https://www.ridop.ri.gov/


The State of Rhode Island reserves the right to waive any informality and to reject any or all proposals. Proposal surety is not required.

 

For information on DEM programs and initiatives, visit www.dem.ri.gov.  Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RhodeIslandDEM or on Twitter (@RhodeIslandDEM) for timely updates.

 

Republicans have advanced President Trump's "big, beautiful bill" in the House. The spending package is now open for debate after hours spent trying to find enough votes to clear an important legislative hurdle.        The Pentagon says Iran's nuclear program has been set back close to two years after U.S. strikes. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell gave the assessment Wednesday -- one that's more optimistic than what UN inspectors have said. The U.S. military has said three key nuclear sites were significantly damaged by more than a dozen bunker-buster bombs and Tomahawk missiles.        The Wisconsin Supreme Court is stopping a state abortion ban. The 1849 near-total abortion ban had technically retaken effect after the Supreme Court overturned federal abortion rights, however, abortion providers in the state resumed the procedure in 2023 after a judge ruled the ban was superseded by a more recent law. Wisconsin Supreme Court judges voted four to three, along ideological lines, to affirm the lower court's ruling that overturned the ban and left in place a more recent law allowing most abortions until about the 20th week of pregnancy.        The firefighter injured in an Idaho ambush Sunday is doing better. Dave Tysdal was critically injured. Doctors are optimistic, but he faces a long recovery. Battalion Chiefs Frank Harwood and John Morrison were killed in the shooting.        Police say a congressional intern was killed in a Washington, DC shooting earlier this week. Eric Tarpinian-Jachym was struck by gunfire when multiple suspects opened fire on a group of people on Monday. He was an intern in the office of Republican Representative Ron Estes of Kansas.        Funeral plans for Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart are set. He died this week at his Louisiana home at the age of 90. There will be a public viewing at the Family Worship Center in Baton Rouge one week from Saturday. Services will be the following Sunday.