Buck Hill forest acquisition in Burrillville marks DEM’s largest land deal in decade

More than 900 acres of forest in Burrillville will be protected and available for public recreation, including hunting, under a $1.6 million state land deal announced on Monday.

The purchase of the 942-acre Buck Hill property from the Rhode Island Boy Scouts marks the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management’s largest land acquisition in a decade, and represents one of the only remaining undeveloped parcels across the state.

The acquisition also provides “critical connectivity” between conservation areas and land to the south, north and east, resulting in a contiguous protected area spanning more than 13,000 acres, DEM Director Terry Gray said in a statement.

“Conserving such a large parcel of connected forestland is a huge win for preserving Rhode Island’s natural resources and increasing public access to the outdoors,” Gray said. 

Most of the purchase price was funded through a $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service through its Wildlife Restoration Program, which uses revenue from federal excise taxes on guns, ammunition and archery equipment to support state wildlife and restoration work. Another grant for $301,350 from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, matched by $100,000 in state bond funds, covered the remaining cost.

The property will be incorporated into the state’s Buck Hill Management Area, which already spans 2,200 acres, overseen by DEM’s Division of Fish and Wildlife. The new land offers opportunities for public use including hunting and fishing, along with conservation of high-quality forestland, including oak and maple trees and a cedar swamp. Roughly 140 acres will be temporarily closed for public use for site improvements along Buck Hill Road,

Under the deal, the Boy Scouts will keep 200 acres along the northern side of Wakefield Pond for a weekend camp.

“Rhode Island Boy Scouts look forward to protecting this natural treasure so that it can be enjoyed by future generations,” Tim McCandless, a representative of the RI Boy Scouts, said in a statement. “We are pleased to collaborate with DEM to safeguard this land for the public.”

DEM through its land conservation program has purchased and protected over 20,000 acres of ecologically valuable forest and parkland since 1985, funded through a mix of state bonds, federal grants, and municipal and land trust contributions.