The US Department of Agriculture provided a $1M helping hand to efforts by the Aquidneck Land Trust (ALT) to conserve Portsmouth's Wicks Nursery property, ALT announced this afternoon. The USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) made the award to help ALT reach their target of $2M for a permanent conservation easement on the 40-acre property off East Main Road.

Ted Clement, ALT's Executive Director, said in a statement, "We thank USDA/NRCS for giving us a foundation for success with our important and time-sensitive campaign to save Wicks Nursery. I would also like to thank NRCS programs staff for helping me with our grant application for this project."

Rhode Island NRCS State Conservationist, R. Phou Vongkhamdy said, "I am excited about assisting Aquidneck Land Trust in acquiring this last major unprotected parcel within this important watershed."

On July 2, ALT and the Wicks family signed an Option Agreement that will give ALT nine months to raise the necessary monies. Wicks Nursery has been under constant development threats the last few years, including a proposal in 2008 to convert the farm into an 108-lot subdivision that would have put immense pressures on the island's already burdened infrastructure and limited natural resources. The Option Agreement was reached despite new development offers this year.

For more information, visit AquidneckLandTrust.org.

Editorial note: Yep, this one's from a press release.