On January 30, 2008, The Rhode Island Foundation announced an historic $1 million gift, from one of the state's leading philanthropic families that will create an endowment to support conservation efforts in the state of Rhode Island.  The gift, from the Sharpe family, will be used to support the work of the Conservation Stewardship Collaborative, a partnership of seven public and private organizations, including the Service, that are committed to preserving and protecting the state's forests, coasts, waters and other natural resources.  "There is a long-standing interest in the Sharpe family in conservation and land stewardship," said Julie Sharpe, the donors' daughter-in-law.  "We worked very hard with these seven organizations to find a meaningful way to advance stewardship of protected areas," she said. "Starting an endowment at The Rhode Island Foundation was a brilliant way to support the collaborative work of both public and private organizations across the state involved in stewardship.  As the endowment grows, it will continue to support these efforts in perpetuity."

The CSC's member organizations, the Audubon Society of Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, the Rhode Island Land Trust Council, the University of Rhode Island's Department of Natural Resources Science, the R.I. Natural History Survey, the R.I. Dept. of Environmental Management, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, will advise The Rhode Island Foundation on grant-making for stewardship projects that have the potential for replication and expansion by other organizations.

Examples of work that might be supported through the new endowment are stewardship practices that ensure long-term viability of ecosystem services; facilitation and training of local stewards in best practices for conservation land monitoring; and the development of practices to ensure the long-term viability of rare, threatened or endangered plants, animals and natural communities.

"More than 100,000 acres of forests, fields, rivers, lakes and farms have been protected by the state, federal government, land trusts and conservation organizations," said Peter August, a professor of natural resources science and director of URI's Coastal Institute.  "We need to continue our work conserving open space, and we need to be sure we are caring for the land the best that we can. Bringing together these organizations - all committed to monitoring and caring for this precious statewide resource and treasure - makes eminent sense."

In a related development, The Rhode Island Foundation announced that an anonymous donor has come forward with a challenge grant in further support of the CSC.  For each contribution of at least $1,000 to the new CSC endowment, the anonymous donor will make a matching contribution to support conservation land stewardship by any Rhode Island environmental organization or agency of the donor's choosing, provided that the gift is made before December 2010 or until total matching gifts of $1 million have been made.

"This collaboration is a perfect fit for the Foundation," said George Graboys, the foundation's acting president and chairman of its board.   "It can serve as a model for public-private partnerships that bring together strong organizations that can think together to develop innovative solutions to longstanding problems."

The Rhode Island NWR Complex is pleased to be a part of this innovative collaborative.  We will be able to share our expertise in land stewardship among the State’s many land trusts and we will be able to complete needed conservation projects both on- and off-refuges with this new source of funding.