WATCH HILL CONSERVANCY
ONE BAY STREET, WESTERLY, RI 02891 www.thewatchhillconservancy.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: THE WATCH HILL CONSERVANCY WAS INCORPORATED IN 1999 TO PROMOTE THE PRESERVATION OF THE NATURAL AND BUILT ENVIRONMENTS OF WATCH HILL, RI; TO CONSERVE, MAINTAIN AND ENHANCE THE SCENIC, OPEN SPACE AND HISTORICAL VALUES AND THE CHARACTER OF WATCH HILL AND SUPPORT THE CONTINUED VITALITY AND SUSTAINABILITY OF THE COMMUNITY; TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC CONCERNING THE SAME; AND TO ACQUIRE AND PRESERVE INTERESTS IN REAL PROPERTY; AND ANY OTHER PURPOSES INCIDENTAL TO THE AFORESAID PURPOSES, WHETHER ACCOMPLISHED WITHIN THE WATCH HILL FIRE DISTRICT OR IN NEARBY AREAS OF THE TOWN OF WESTERLY, RI OR STONINGTON, CT.

BAY STREET INFRASTRUCTURE AND STREETLIGHT PROJECT - 2019 MARKED SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS ON THE CONSERVANCY'S MULTI-YEAR UNDERGROUND INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT IN THE VILLAGE OF WATCH HILL. THE PROJECT BEGAN WITH A TWO-YEAR ENGINEERING STUDY AND YEARS OF CONSTRUCTION, ALLOWING FOR THE UNDERGROUNDING OF WIRES AND THE RELOCATION OF TRANSFORMERS. THE PORTION OF THE PROJECT INVOLVING THE INSTALLATION OF AN UNDERGROUND DUCT BANK ON BAY STREET BEGAN IN LATE 2011, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE TOWN OF WESTERLY'S INSTALLATION OF THE DECORATIVE STREET LIGHTING PORTION OF THE PROJECT, WHICH WAS COMBINED INTO A LARGER MUNICIPAL "TIP" PROJECT, CONCERNING A MULTITUDE OF BAY STREET ROAD IMPROVEMENTS SUCH AS NEW CURBING, CROSSWALKS, SIDEWALKS AND PAVING, MANAGED PRIMARILY BY THE TOWN OF WESTERLY.

CONSERVATION EFFORTS IN THE NAPATREE CONSERVATION AREA - 2019 WAS THE FOURTEENTH YEAR OF THE CONSERVANCY'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE NAPATREE POINT CONSERVATION AREA PROGRAMMING. OUR ACTIVITIES INCLUDE A VARIETY OF CONSERVATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS. THIS IS THE FOURTH YEAR THAT THE CONSERVANCY WAS LEAD STEWARD OF NAPATREE, ASSUMING THIS ROLE FROM THE WATCH HILL FIRE DISTRICT IN 2016. THE CONSERVANCY OBTAINED MULTIPLE GRANTS FOR A WIDE VARIETY OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION STUDIES AND ECOLOGICAL PRESERVTION EFFORTS. THE YEAR REPORTED A RECORD NUMBER OF PARTICIPATING STUDENTS IN OUR CHILDREN'S PROGRAM. CONSERVATION ACTIVITIES INCLUDE THE MAINTENANCE OF PROPERTIES CURRENTLY OWNED BY THE WATCH HILL FIRE DISTRICT AND THE CONSERVANCY AS WELL AS EXPLORING THE ACQUISITION OF OTHER PROPERTIES OF NATURAL SIGNIFICANCE. NAPATREE IS THE MOST PRISTINE BARRIER BEACH ECOSYSTEM IN THE REGION AND IS HIGHLY VALUED BY THE PUBLIC WHO VISIT THE CONSERVATION AREA YEAR-ROUND.

OTHER CONSERVATION AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION EFFORTS - WATCH HILL IS ONE OF THE MOST VULNERABLE COASTAL COMMUNITIES IN RHODE ISLAND FOR INUNDATION FROM SEA LEVEL RISE AND LARGE STORMS. THE CONSERVANCY IS LEADING A COMMUNITY- WIDE INITIATIVE TO IDENTIFY MITIGATION PLANS TO REDUCE CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS ON BAY STREET AND NAPATREE. WE HAVE CONVENED A NUMBER OF CONSERVANCY-LED WORKING GROUPS TO ADDRESS ISSUES THAT IMPACT COMMUNITY CHARACTER; FOR EXAMPLE, ADVOCATING FOR COMMUNITY PRESERVATION PROTECTIONS IN THE TOWN'S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND REDUCING NUISANCE TIDE IMPACTS TO BUSINESSES AND PUBLIC AMENITIES NEAR WATCH HILL HARBOR. THE CONSERVANCY SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THE SECOND YEAR OF ITS LANPHEAR LIVE SPEAKER SERIES HELD IN THE CHAPLIN B BARNES READING ROOM AT THE LANPHEAR LIVERY. THIS FREE PROGRAM, HOSTED BY THE CONSERVANCY DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS, IS DESIGNED TO INFORM THE COMMUNITY OF IMPORTANT ISSUES IN SCIENCE, HISTORY, NATURE, AND TECHNOLOGY. CONSERVATION ACTIVITIES ALSO INCLUDE THE MAINTENANCE OF PROPERTIES CURRENTLY OWEND BY THE CONSERVANCY OUTSIDE OF THE NAPATREE CONSERVATION AREA. THE CONSERVANCY ALSO OFFERS FREE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN INFORMATION TO LOCAL PROPERTY OWENRS TO AID THEM IN MAKING PROPERTY RENOVATIONS CONSISTENT WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE AREA.

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