FIRE BAN IN EFFECT In response to the continued elevated risk of wildfires, DEM has issued a fire ban at all State Parks, campgrounds, and management areas until further notice. The ban is effective as of today (10/28/24) and includes campfires in designated campfire areas, including charcoal fires and cooking fires. This preventative measure applies to all DEM-managed lands and aims to reduce the threat of human-caused wildfires. DEM will continue to monitor and evaluate conditions to determine when the ban can be lifted. Together we can protect our communities and keep first responders safe by reducing the risk of wildfires: 📞 Call 911 if you spot a fire/smoke. Timely information is critical to contain fires before they spread. 🔥 Remember, any outdoor fire is a potential source for a wildfire. Be careful with cigarettes and ashes. When disposing of wood stove ashes, put the ashes in a metal bucket of water. 🚒 Check with your local fire department for any other restrictions and permitting information. 🚨 Stay informed and find resources at dem.ri.gov/wildfirestatus.
Geographic Response Strategies Geographic Response Strategies (GRS) are oil spill response plans tailored to protect a specific sensitive area from impacts following a spill. These map-based response strategies can save time during the critical first few hours of an oil spill response. They show responders where sensitive areas are located and where to place oil spill protection resources. Each GRS has two priorities, which are to: Identify sensitive natural, cultural or significant economic resources Describe and prioritize response strategies. The purpose of these projects was to develop GRSs to protect sensitive environments and resources on inland rivers, as well as the Upper Narragansett Bay/Providence River coastline and the southern ocean facing coastline of Rhode Island. Additional Resources GRS Tactics Guide MassGRS Tactics Guide View Geographic Response Strategies Inland GRSs The Inland GRSs listed below were completed in cooperation with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). EPA provided funding for Nuka Research and Planning Group, LLC to completed GRSs for Pawtuxet and Blackstone Rivers. River Location GRP Blackstone River Woonsocket & North Smithfield, RI Woonsocket West Blackstone River Woonsocket & North Smithfield, RI Woonsocket East Blackstone River Cumberland & Lincoln, RI Manville Dam Blackstone River Cumberland & Lincoln, RI Ashton Dam Blackstone River Cumberland & Lincoln, RI Lonsdale Marsh Blackstone River Pawtucket & Central Falls, RI Pawtucket Pawtucket River Warwick, RI Warwick Mall Pawtucket River Warwick & Cranston, RI at Pontiac Ave Pontiac Ave Pawtucket River Warwick & Cranston, RI at Jefferson Boulevard Pawtucket Pawtucket River Warwick & Cranston, RI at Warwick Ave Jefferson Blvd Upper Narragansett Bay/Providence River Areas GRS The Upper Narragansett Bay/Providence River project was directed by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) with funding provided by Motiva Enterprises, LLC. Nuka Research and Planning Group, LLC was contracted by Motiva to develop the Geographic Response Strategies, which have been listed in the RI Geographic Response Strategy below under Additional Resources. Location GRP Upper Narragansett Bay/Providence River GRS RI Geographic Response Plan Southern Coastal Areas GRSs The original GRSs published in May of 1999 for the coastal areas are also included in the GRSs listed below. Tidal Inlet Protection Strategies for Oil-Spill Response Location GRP Block Island Great Salt Pond (#1) Westerly Winnapaug Pond; Weekapaug Breachway (#2) Charlestown Quonochontaug Pond (#3) Charlestown Ninigret Pond; Charlestown Breachway (#4) South Kingstown Trustom Pond (#5) South Kingstown Card Ponds (#6) Narragansett Point Judith Pond and Harbor (#7) Narragansett The Narrows (Pettaquamscutt River) (#8) Little Compton Long Pond (#9) Little Compton Briggs Marsh (#10) Little Compton Little Pond Cove (#11) Little Compton Tunipus Pond (#12) Little Compton Quicksand Pond (#13) Jamestown Mackerel Cove (#14) Jamestown Dutch Island Harbor–Fox Hill Pond (#15) Jamestown Dutch Island Harbor–Sheffield Cove (#16) Jamestown Dutch Island Harbor–Great Creek (#17) Jamestown Dutch Island Harbor–Jamestown Brook (#18) Narragansett Wesquage Pond (#19) North Kingstown Greene Point (#20) North Kingstown Bissel Cove; Annaquatucket River (#21) North Kingstown Duck Cove (#22) North Kingstown Wickford Harbor (#23) North Kingstown Allen Harbor (#24) North Kingstown Tibbets Creek (#25) Warwick Potowomut River (#26) Warwick Old Mill Creek (#27) Warwick Occupessatuxet Cove (#28) Warwick Passeonkquis Cove (#29) Cranston Pawtuxet Cove (#30) Providence Providence Harbor (#31) East Providence Bullock Cove (#32) Barrington Drown Cove (#33) Barrington South of Annawomscutt Creek (#34) Barrington Mussachuck Creek (#35) Warren Warren River (#36) Portsmouth Sheep Pen; Coggeshall Coves (Prudence Island) (#38) Portsmouth Nag Pond (Prudence Island) (#39) Portsmouth Jenny Pond (Prudence Island) (#40) Bristol Bristol Narrows (#41) Bristol Town Pond (#42) Portsmouth Pond West of the Hummocks (#43) Portsmouth Pond at Common Fence Point (#44) Portsmouth Sakonnet River; The Cove (#45) Tiverton Nannaquaket Pond (#46) Tiverton East of Jacks Island (#47) Tiverton Jacks Island (#48) Tiverton Sapowet Point (#49) Tiverton Sapowet Creek (#50) Tiverton East of Fogland Point (#51) Tiverton Fogland Point Pond (#52) Little Compton Nonquit Pond (#53)